Thanks to $2.8 billion, I-70 is getting a makeover.

Interstate 70 through Columbia — well, through the roughly 200 miles in Missouri from Blue Springs to Wentzville — is about to become more challenging. Perhaps the most monumental part of the $2.8 billion project to build a third lane in each direction of that corridor will be keeping traffic moving, both safely and efficiently. 

That was one of main takeaways from an official groundbreaking ceremony on June 13, with Gov. Mike Parson, contractor Millstone Weber, members of the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission, and a plethora of federal, state, and local elected officials. 

The project, officially dubbed “Improve I-70,” is a multi-phased plan. Construction is expected to start in July on Project #1: Columbia to Kingdom City. Also of note: the final phase of the project will be from Boonville to Columbia, so our city is the middle of the road bookend for the first and final phases. 

Considering keeping traffic moving. Throughout construction, two lanes of travel will be available in both directions during peak hours. The first phase of the project has an anticipated completion of late 2027. 

That means at least the next four seasons of MU Tiger football will put the project’s “safely and efficiently” plans to the test. 

Senior Real Estate Tax Credits 

Applications for Boone County’s senior real estate property tax credit program will be accepted beginning July 1, according to the county commission. The program was established in response to newly passed legislation from the Missouri General Assembly and voter approval of Proposition 1 in April.  To be eligible for the program an individual must be a Boone County resident who: 

• Is 62 years of age or older before Jan. 1 of the initial credit year; and 
• Is an owner of record of a homestead or has a legal or equitable interest in such property as evidenced by a written instrument; and 
• Is liable for the payment of real property taxes on such homestead. 

Applications can be accessed online by downloading the printable application or in person at the Boone County Collector’s office. All applications must be signed in the presence of a notary and submitted to the Collecto’s Office before the annual due date of Oct. 1. 

CACC Renovation and Addition 

Columbia Public Schools is renovating the Columbia Area Career Center. According to a new release, the project will improve the facility and increase access to the career center. 

The renovation project includes a 15,000-square-foot expansion of classroom and programmatic space, as well as student enterprise space. The centers serves CPS students as well as students in neighboring districts, and private and parochial schools. 

Snapshots 

City Manager De’Carlon Seewood’s gave his State of the City address on May 30. Among other things, he spelled out plans for a new initiative: The Office of Violence Prevention will be formed through a partnership with the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform. The aim is to reduce incarceration and violence by teaming with community organizations that address public health and mental health; working with the courts to reduce repeat offenders; and other local resources. The new office will be funded via the fiscal year 2025 budget that Seewood will present to City Council in July. 

According to Go COMO ridership data, more than ten thousand fewer people used the bus system in May of this year than in May of last year. The city hopes bus stop improvements, such as implementing bus shelters over stops and improving sidewalks around bus stops will get more people to ride. 

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Mid-Missouri has welcomed families to its brand-new Columbia home at 1110 S. College Ave.