COLUMBIA, S.C. — Officials say that construction on a busy downtown intersection could be wrapped up by early January.
Downtown Columbia's Taylor Street intersection, located where Allen University and Benedict College meet, is nearing the end of a months-long remodeling project. City officials said the upgrades are projected to be completed by January, with improved pedestrian safety and aesthetics.
The project, which did not rely on city taxpayer dollars, focused on making the intersection safer for pedestrians while enhancing the area’s visual appeal.
“It’s really going to beautify the entryway into both Benedict and Allen University and that whole corridor along Harden Street,” said Columbia Assistant City Manager Clint Shealy.
The upgrades include freshly paved sidewalks, new crosswalks, and shortened pedestrian crossings.
“We do things called bump outs, so that folks that are crossing the street don't have quite as far to walk and quite as many lanes of traffic to cross, and so it makes it a little bit easier and safer for the pedestrians. We're doing signalization improvements and putting up new mast arms,” Shealy said.
The project is a collaboration between the South Carolina Department of Transportation, the City of Columbia, Allen University, and Benedict College. It was funded through federal Local Public Agency dollars and the support of the Richland County Transportation Committee (CTC).
“We also partnered with our county transportation committee, the Richland County CTC, to get additional funding, about $1.6 million worth of improvements, no city tax dollars directly, all funded through gas tax and through federal dollars,” Shealy said.
Before the project wraps up, crews will focus on restriping and additional paving, which will be completed in the coming weeks. As part of the same initiative, improvements were also made to the Taylor and Pine Street intersection and the Blanding and Harden Street intersection.
The city expects all work on the project to be finished shortly after the holiday season.
