65 people attend open house for Ash Street Improvement Project

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Sixty-five people attended an open house on Wednesday to hear more about the Ash Street Improvement Project in Columbia, according to a Public Works spokesperson.

The meeting was held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Activity and Recreation Center. Staff were available to answer questions from residents.

The project was initiated after a quarter-cent sales tax was passed in August 2015, according to information on the city’s beheard website. The project includes street and sidewalk maintenance between Clinkscales Road and First Street.

The design includes an 8-foot wide sidewalk on the north side of Ash Street that can be used by pedestrians and cyclists, as well as a 5-foot wide sidewalk on the south side of the street, a release says. It also would include a continuous bike lane on the southern portion of the street, and crosswalks with flashing beacons near the intersections with Redwood Road and Anderson and Alexander avenues, the release says.

The project has been contentious in the community where the additions are expected to take place, with dozens of comments left on the project’s beheard page and on social media, as well as signs posted in yards along the street.

Construction could begin as soon as summer 2026, but would most likely start in spring 2027, according to information from the city. Comments can also be emailed to PubW@CoMo.gov.