High Street viaduct renovations put on pause as costs rise
Marie Moyer
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
Jefferson City and Cole County Public Works are looking for sponsors to foot an around $18 million renovation bill for the city’s High Street viaduct.
The updated estimate that was announced Tuesday morning during a Cole County Commission meeting is around $6 million more than what was expected in November 2023.
In 2023, Jefferson City Public Works proposed several renovation ideas, including plans to shorten the road and move the creek underneath the viaduct. The accepted plan was to shorten the road and connect it with Missouri Boulevard.
Courtesy: Cole County Commission
According to Jefferson City Council members Derek Thomas of Ward 3 and Julie Allen of Ward 4, the council is conscious of the viaduct’s deteriorating condition; however, they are currently prioritizing different Capitol Improvement projects.
“Is it at crisis emergency level? I don’t believe so,” Thomas said. “There are other issues that I think are crying for dollars way more expediently, the tri-level crossing for one, the Jefferson City Police building is in pitiful shape, there’s other capital projects that I think deserve priority.”
“What the city has been focusing on is working on their ten-year planning for capital projects and the improvements that are necessary,” Allen said. “That’s really what’s going to come next for us as far as the larger picture.”
During Tuesday’s meeting, the Cole County Commission voted to renew the current Capitol Improvement Sales Tax rate, which will be on the 2026 ballot for voter approval.
No official sponsors or grants for the High Street viaduct have been presented to the Cole County Commission or the Jefferson City Council.
ABC 17 News reached out to Jefferson City Public Works for comment but did not hear back.