Nearly 100 road closures expected for rest of month

Drivers will see nearly 100 road closures in Columbia throughout this month. Starting Wednesday; sewer, sidewalk, pavement projects will start.

Columbia Public Works said their street division will begin 95 chip seal maintenance projects that will go through the end of the month.

The chip sealing is a thin film of heated asphalt that is spread over the surface, followed by the placement of small “chips” or stones. Chip sealing uses the same ingredients as asphalt concrete paving.

According to public works the chip seal process is part of the city’s pavement preservation process.

The chip seal process typically costs $1-$2 per square yard compared to if public works lays down new asphalt which could cost $7-$10 per square yard.

You can click on this list to see the streets that would be part of the chip seal.

Flat Branch Sewer project

Wednesday, the city will be replacing two storm drains along Elm Street, at Ninth and Hitt streets, relocating the water main, and upgrading the water distribution infrastructure along Sixth Street.

The city says in order to minimize the inconvenience to residents, they will begin on Elm near Providence and work their way east to Hitt, and along Sixth from Elm to Broadway. The proposed project will help with the sewer capacity for the downtown area and the upper northeast portion of Flat Branch Watershed.

The project will be paid for from Sanitary Sewer Utility Funds.