North Columbia, Boone County road closures start Tuesday night

Two road projects started Tuesday night that could slow traffic in north Columbia and Boone County.

Pavement repair will start on Highway 63, including the Interstate 70 Connector, at 6 p.m. tonight, lasting throughout the summer. Contractors will begin at the north leg of the project, the Highway 63 intersection with Rangeline St., starting in the southbound lanes of the highway. At least one lane of traffic at the Connector will be open during the work, according to a MoDOT news release, with work happening from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. each night. The resurfacing project will work down to the Highway 63 exit of Broadway in Columbia, which the state refers to as Route WW.

MoDOT engineer Kirsten Munck said the pavement repair work will take about six weeks for both directions of Highway 63. Then, a different company will start an asphalt overlay of the same stretch. The asphalt features a liquid membrane, Munck said, that will help seal cracks in the pavement and keep water from building up on the road during rain.

Lane reductions on I-70 also started Tuesday morning over Columbia’s Garth Avenue. Workers are adding a concrete median to the new bridge there, and will have one lane closed during the work until Thursday. The barrier work, and interstate striping, will take place from 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. each day.

(Editor’s note, 9:24 p.m.: An earlier version of the story said the Interstate 70 work over Garth Avenue would happen from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The work will take place from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.)