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Boone County Public Works |
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Boone County Public Works 5551 Hwy 63 South Columbia, MO 65201 |
Office (573) 449-8515 Fax (573) 875-1602 |
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Boone County Public Works |
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Boone County Public Works 5551 Hwy 63 South Columbia, MO 65201 |
Office (573) 449-8515 Fax (573) 875-1602 |
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Boone County commissioned this preliminary engineering study to develop a planning document for the future extension of Gans Road between Providence Road and Bearfield Road. This extension is needed to provide an alternative route to Grindstone Parkway for traveling east-west between Providence Road and US 63. This study was aimed to help Boone County and the City of Columbia define the corridor for the extension and obtain environmental clearance throughout the corridor. A project cost opinion was determined to assist the County and City with determining a budget to move forward with the project.
A customized typical section was defined for this project. The typical section was derived from the traffic analysis, the study team's objective to incorporate stormwater quality practices on the project and out of the public's input to limit the future commercial development throughout the corridor and provide a more scenic roadway. A divided roadway with a single lane in each direction was determined to be the recommendation for the extension. This roadway would include a stormwater quality median with native plantings and a bioswale to treat runoff before releasing it to the natural system. Figure 18 and Figure 19 show the typical sections for the roadway.
To maximize the length of median and limit access and potential for commercial development, roundabouts were used as the typical full access intersection throughout the corridor. The roundabouts allow travelers to make a U-turn easily from the remaining access points, which will be right-in right-out access only between the full access roundabout intersections. The roundabouts also allow for breaks in the horizontal and vertical alignments which helped fit the roadway to the existing land more efficiently, reducing its overall footprint and cost.
Three different alignments were investigated during this preliminary study. Figure 1 shows the overall project location and the alignments and intersections. While there are some slight differences in the alignments throughout the corridor, the most notable difference between the alignments occurs near Clear Creek. This is the section of the corridor between Route 163 and the current terminus of Gans Road west of Rock Quarry Road. This section is also the most costly to construct due to the large amounts of earthwork and the bridge needed to cross the creek.
The "Blue" Alignment is the most southern alignment. The project cost opinion for this alignment is $16.07 million, the highest of the three alignments. This alignment is the most costly due to the large amounts of earthwork that are required around the bridge and Clear Creek.
The "Yellow" Alignment is slightly north of the "Blue" Alignment. The project cost opinion for this alignment is slightly lower at $15.94 million. This alignment saves some cost on earthwork, but has a bridge that is almost sixty-five percent longer than the "Blue" Alignment. This alignment is the most direct east-west route of the three alternatives.
The "Red" Alignment is significantly north of the other two alignments in the area of Clear Creek. The project cost opinion for this alignment is $14.82 million, significantly lower than the other two alternatives. This alternative has the least impact to the utilities and environmental resources. The main disadvantage to this alternative might be the large curve to the north that makes it less of a direct east-west route. However, the study team sees a possible advantage of this alignment being that traffic may be attracted more to State Farm Parkway and relieve Providence Road to some extent.
The recommendation from this study is to move forward with the "Red" Alignment. This alignment is the most beneficial to the County, City and public. With the proposed typical section and the use of roundabouts, the extension should limit future development and emphasize the environmental aspects of the area. The study team encountered support for this recommendation from a large majority of the public and area landowners during a public meeting held October 7, 2008.
www.ShowMeBoone.com Boone County, Missouri. 801 East Walnut Columbia, MO 65201 USA