Bear Creek Trail to Reopen Nov 17

Ok, this has nothing to do with flooding, but it's something that trail users will be glad to hear.

As indicated in the below press release, the new Providence Road north extension will officially open with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday, Nov 17. This projected started at the terminus of Providence Road (near Vandiver) and continues to Blue Ridge Road. It required a bridge over Bear Creek and the adjacent BC trail. Due to safety concerns, the Bear Creek Trail was closed and users were re-routed....a long and difficult route I might add around this area. The new road project also provided better access to the trail in the Vandiver area.

We are glad to see this project completed and applaud the City's Public Works Department for their efforts in seeing that the project was completed on-time and that the trail was restored and improved.

Ribbon cutting planned for Providence Road expansion

(COLUMBIA, MO) - The city of Columbia invites the public to a ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of the new Providence Road north extension on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 3:30 p.m. The ceremony will be held north of Vandiver Drive on Providence Road at the new bridge. This project consists of a new roadway from Vandiver Drive to Blue Ridge Road, complete with a new multi-span bridge over Bear Creek and new sidewalks. The total cost for design and construction is $4.7 million. Funding comes from the following sources: federal Surface Transportation Program, Transportation Sales Tax, quarter cent Capital Improvement Sales Tax, Capital Fund Balance and development fees.

With the completion of this roadway and bridge, Bear Creek Trail will reopen to trail users on Nov. 17. The trail was closed during the construction while a new bridge was built over the Bear Creek.