MODOT set to conduct speed study on S. Providence Road
The Missouri Department of Transportation will be collecting data over the next few weeks to determine if the speed limit needs to be changed on South Providence Road in Columbia.
Crews will be collecting data from Stadium Boulevard to Old Plank Road at the request of the city’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission.
“We look at crash history along the road, we look the way people get on and off the road, and we look at whether there are any bicyclist or pedestrian activity along the road,” said Trent Brooks, Central District Traffic Engineer.
The speed limit for the majority of the roadway is 55 miles per hour.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol crash reports, there have been 43 crashes on S. Providence from Stadium to Old Plank Road since August 26, 2015.
Over the past five years there have been three fatal crashes on the stretch of roadway, including one in March 2016. Three pedestrians were hit by cars while walking along the road in the same time period.
Two people were hit on January 22, 2015 on Providence Road. One person was injured after getting hit by a car near Providence and Nifong Boulevard. Just before 7 p.m. a 24-year-old woman was killed after being hit by a car as she was trying to cross Providence near Carter Lane.
Brooks said crews will mainly be collecting speed data, but will also evaluate the current bike lanes and crosswalks along the road.
“There’s bike lanes along the road, there’s several different crossings at the intersection,” he said. “We’ll probably review those, but as far as adding anything that’s not what this is entailing.”
MODOT is hoping to complete the speed study by mid-September. Brooks said once they’ve analyzed the data, they will determine whether a speed change needs to happen along S. Providence.
He said MODOT would then work with the city council to establish a new speed limit ordinance.
Last fall, MODOT conducted a speed study along North Providence Road from Vandiver Drive to Blue Ridge Road. In October, the city council passed an ordinance to increase the speed limit from 35 to 45 miles per hour.
