Motorists traveling Highway 63 will soon have a safer route. The City of Columbia announced Friday that construction of a COLT Railroad Bridge over the highway will begin August. Right now, the railroad crosses Highway 63 near Route B, causing drivers to stop on the highway when a train passes. Senator Kit Bond says this intersection, which is one of only three left in the state, is a danger to Missouri drivers.

"I've crossed that crossing many times. And it's always an interesting thought when you come up and you start looking around for a train. You're on a highway where you're supposed to be able to go 70, and you've got a railroad crossing there."

The project is expected to cost 3.8 million dollars, much under the original 9 million dollar estimate. Bond secured about a million dollars of that money, and former congressman Kenny Hulsof obtained about half a million of it. The rest of the money is coming from TARRP funds. Bond, a self-proclaimed proponent of infrastructure spending, says he believes keeping highways up-to-date is a key responsibility of government.

"Make no mistake, these improvements will save lives."

Construction will take about 15 months to complete and is expected to provide more construction jobs for area workers. © Copyright 2012, KBIA