Concrete progress: roadwork on North Main continues

Progress continues on Richland County Transportation’s widening project on North Main Street.

Much of the work from Anthony Avenue to Sunset Drive, or about a third of the route, is complete. The project spans about 1.5 miles, from Anthony to Fuller Avenue, and will cost an estimated $62 million.

Along with widening North Main, the project involves repaving the deteriorating roadway, improving pedestrian routes and crosswalks and adding streetlights.

Contractors are now finishing concrete work from Sunset Drive to Miller Avenue, including curbs, gutters, sidewalks, driveways and handicap ramps. Once that work is complete, crews will also pave that section of the road.

The roadwork will then continue north on North Main, with more concrete work followed by paving on each section of road up to Fuller Avenue.

Crews have already installed streetlights from Anthony Avenue to the railway trestle at Earlewood Park; the 46 lightpoles installed so far will be operational soon. The County will continue installing new lights through the project’s duration – 251 in all.

Work to relocate overhead utilities underground is nearly complete, with the final stage running between Lorick Avenue and Fuller Avenue.

Drivers can expect lane closures on both sides of North Main as the project continues. All work is expected to be complete in fall 2020.

In addition to funding from the Richland Transportation Penny program, the project is funded through a $16.7 million federal TIGER grant and a federal earmark worth $1.3 million. The City of Columbia is also contributing $5.8 million for water and sewer work