University Hospital parking garage closure part of Children’s Hospital construction project

Columbia, MO (KMIZ)

On Thursday, the MU Board of Curators Health Committee will meet at 1 p.m. to discuss a variety of topics including the closure of the patient and visitor parking garage attached to University Hospital in Columbia. The garage will be closed starting Monday. 

ABC 17 spoke with an MU Health spokesperson who said that this project is going to be an inconvenience no matter when they decided to close down the garage. However, they felt June made the most sense since the weather is nice so people might not mind walking as much, and less traffic from students leaving for summer break.

According to a press release from MU Health Care, the closure is due to construction and upgrades to the hospital.  

These upgrades include a new new automated parking guidance system displaying the number of spaces available on each level, and an additional entrance on the northeast side for the new Children’s Hospital. The new Children’s hospital is set to open in June 2024. 

Crews will also be repairing concrete and beams during construction. While these upgrades will be good for the facility in the long run, they are an inconvenience to patients and travelers alike. ABC 17 has witnessed a steady backup of cars on weekday mornings, making travel times longer for anyone who needs to drive past the hospital. 

Meanwhile, patients and visitors are being advised to park in the west side of Parking Structure 7, located just south of the hospital between Hospital Drive and Virginia Avenue.

To alleviate some of the added inconvenience for patients and visitors,

MU Health Care has shuttles running 24 hours a day, seven days a week will pick up patients and visitors from their cars and transport them to the main entrance of the University Hospital, University Physicians Medical Building and Missouri Orthopaedic Institute, according to the release.