MoDOT to repair section of U.S. 63

The state Highway Department will begin a pavement repair this week that will close one lane of southbound U.S. 63 near the Columbia Regional Airport.

The pavement repairs will be done a mile north of the new U.S. 63-Route H interchange, and the work will be done between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. nightly, beginning Thursday.

Officials expect the repair to be finished by Sept. 26.

MoDOT spokeswoman Sally Oxenhandler said the section being repaired is less than a year old, but already is having "some unexpected settlement of the fill placed in the area. As a result, we're working with the contractor who built the project to stabilize the underlying soil and lift the pavement to prevent further damage or problems."

Later, she said, other repairs "will involve some shoulder replacement and guard rail correction" in the same highway section.

Although MoDOT will direct traffic through the work area, motorists are urged to find an alternate route.