Interested parties meeting about upgrades at Columbia Regional Airport scheduled for March 6

The City of Columbia invites community members and travelers to attend an interested parties meeting regarding increased parking and improvements to Airport Drive at Columbia Regional Airport (COU) from 9-11 a.m. on Friday, March 6, at 11400 S. Airport Drive.

Due to increased flights with American Airlines, United Airlines and the addition of Allegiant Airlines, City staff plan to increase paved parking by approximately 350 parking spaces. Work crews will add the additional spaces to the area just north of 11200 Airport Drive.

This new parking lot will allow additional paved parking spaces that have easy access to the terminal facility. The area is connected to the parking that City planners identified in the 2025 Airport Master Plan. It will include sidewalks and curb and gutter improvements.

The City estimates the cost of the parking lot construction at $3 million. The Transportation Sales Tax will fund this expense.

The reconstruction and overlay project of Airport Drive is 1.3 miles in length and includes one new crosswalk and exterior wayfinding signage. The asphalt pavement is currently in poor condition, with visible cracks, potholes and uneven surfaces.

The project will also include enhancing wayfinding signage and the airport's monument sign on Route H, improving the passenger experience.

The City estimates the Airport Drive reconstruction project to cost $1.7 million. The FY25 Capital Improvement Plan included this cost.

Interested parties can leave comments on the City's BeHeard website through March 30.

Members of the public may attend any open meeting. For requests for accommodations related to disability, please call 573.874.CITYopens phone dialer(2489) or email [email protected]create new email. To assist staff in making the appropriate arrangements for your accommodation, please make your request as far in advance of the posted meeting date as possible.