Richland County completed improvements and widened a 1.7-mile stretch of North Main Street, extending from Anthony Avenue to Fuller Avenue.

The widening and repaving project was possible thanks to Richland County's Transportation Penny Program — a $1.07 billion initiative, voted on by Richland County citizens in 2012. The Transportation Penny Program will be utilized for 22 years or until the budget runs out.

See a complete list of projects the billion-dollar budget is supporting pertaining to paving, resurfacing, pedestrian improvements, intersections, and more.

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann and other Councilmen attended a ribbon cutting to celebrate the end of the widening of North Main Street project. We're recapping the details of this improvement project.

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Project details

Upgrades to the ~1.7-mile stretch include:

A widened + repaved the road
Enhanced roadway aesthetics by developing designated crosswalks
Improved landscaping
Increased night safety by implementing street lighting + more pedestrian routes
Some relocated utilities underground.

According to this prioritization of widening projects document, the North Main Widening project ranked No. 4 in priority and cost ~$53 million.

Budget breakdown

$30 million from the Richland Transportation Penny program
$16.65 million Tiger Grant
$1.3 million Federal Earmark
$5.4 million from the City of Columbia for water and sewer work.