MoDOT, city officials celebrate new interchange

It’s been open for almost a year now, but on Friday MoDOT, the City of Columbia, and Boone County officials celebrated the completion of a two-year, multi-million dollar road project at the interchange of I-70 and stadium drive.

MoDOT District Engineer David Silvester said the $12.7 million project is already making travel smoother, and safer.

“If you haven’t driven through one before, please do,” said Silvester.

“It minimizes the left turns you would have at a regular signal. You still have the left turns but it funnels them in a different way. Which expedites the process of getting through the interchange.”

Silvester said the expansion of the corridor from I-70 to Broadway is also a benefit.

With the holiday season right around the corner, MoDOT is predicting traffic in the area will be moving better than ever.

“This is a highly economic and developed area, with the mall and lots of businesses, car dealerships in the area, restaurants, so when you attract a lot of people you tax the system to meet those demands, so by expanding the system, we’re moving more traffic to move people to those destinations,” he said.

The project was funded with a cost-share agreement between state and local government.

Boone County Presiding Commissioner Dan Atwill said the project is a win-win.

“I think people are very happy with it, it’s faster, safer, and I think it’s a great improvement for the city and the county,” said Atwill.

With the success of the diverging diamond interchange and a few others in the St. Louis area, MoDOT said the public can expect to see more of them in the future.