City of Columbia Missouri

P.O. BOX 6015
COLUMBIA, MO 65205

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 24, 2019

CONTACT: CONTACT: Barry Dalton
Community Relations Specialist
Public Works Department
City of Columbia
573.874.7217
[email protected]

UPDATE2: Green Meadows and Forum Boulevard intersection improvement project scheduled to open 30 days ahead of schedule on Oct. 24

(COLUMBIA, MO) -

UPDATE 2: The Green Meadows and Forum Boulevard roundabout will open between 7 p.m. today, Oct. 24 (30 days ahead of schedule), rather than Oct. 25 as previously announced.


Original Release:

The Green Meadows and Forum Boulevard intersection improvement project is scheduled to open ahead of schedule on Friday, Oct. 25, weather permitting.

Green Meadows Road is a two-lane street intersecting with a four-lane divided roadway at Forum Boulevard resulting in what had been an all-way stop with six lanes of busy traffic. The intersection was identified in the City of Columbia's 10-year plan for the 2015 Capital Improvement Sales Tax as needing improvement. The goal of the project was to increase safety and reduce congestion by removing the all-way stop and constructing a roundabout. 

"Most importantly, the Forum and Green Meadows Roundabout provides a safer intersection for pedestrians, nonmotorized transportation users and motorists," Public Works Director David Nichols said. "We really appreciated the public's patience and support during the construction process and the related road closures. It was a community effort."

The intersection improvement project included a partial dual-lane roundabout, utilities, sidewalks, crosswalks, pedestrian safety islands, street lighting and stormwater improvements. Emery Sapp and Sons, Inc. began construction of the roundabout on July 8 with an estimated construction schedule of 150 days. If everything stays on track, the project should be completed at least 30 days ahead of the original plan. This includes some additional work scheduled to occur on Forum Boulevard over the next 1-2 weeks to remove the temporary crossover lanes and finish seeding the median. While the crossovers are being removed, there will continue to be some temporary lane restrictions in the area. 

"Completely closing one side of Green Meadows Road at Forum Boulevard while working on that side of the roundabout provided the space and safety needed to complete the project ahead of schedule," Public Works Construction Superintendent David Fennewald said. "Additionally, the contractor and all of the City staff involved in the project did a really great job."

The Country Club Villas II Homeowners Association has agreed to adopt the landscaping in the roundabout and will be maintaining it through Grizzly Bear Landscaping. 

After a series of public meetings and hearings, and considering a number of options, the Columbia City Council approved the new roundabout at Forum Boulevard and Green Meadows Road on Sept. 5, 2017, as part of the City of Columbia's Capital Improvement Program. Roundabouts are not only an effective way to deal with challenging intersections, but they are also nationally recognized as a way to improve safety. 

Two interested parties meetings were held April 28, 2016, and June 27, 2017, and a neighborhood meeting concerning traffic calming on Canterbury Drive and Scottson Way was held Sept. 18, 2018. Two public hearings before City Council took place Sept. 6, 2016, and Sept. 5, 2017. The estimated investment was $1.2 million. 

For more information about the project, visit CoMo.gov/PublicWorks/Forum-GreenMeadows

For more information about roundabout benefits and driving tips, visit CoMo.gov/PublicWorks/Roundabout-Education.



City of Columbia Vision
Columbia is the best place for everyone to live, work, learn and play.

City of Columbia Mission
To serve the public equitably through democratic, transparent and efficient government.

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