Assembly Street lane closure to last 2 years for downtown Columbia construction
A significant change is coming to one of Columbia’s busiest downtown roadways as work progresses on a massive new development in the heart of the city.
Drivers taking Assembly Street north through downtown Columbia will have to adjust to a new traffic pattern, which is expected to be in place for up to two years beginning this week. The major traffic shift is needed to allow for the construction of a new housing tower on the 1400 block of Main Street.
On Wednesday, the South Carolina Department of Transportation will begin repainting the lanes on the northbound portion of Assembly Street between Washington and Hampton streets.
The right-hand lane of that portion of Assembly Street will be closed beginning Jan. 28, in the area between Washington and Hampton streets, along with the parking meters adjacent to the construction site.
The parking spaces along the Assembly Street median will be converted into a travel lane.
The work will also prohibit drivers from taking a left onto Hampton Street from Assembly Street.
While the DOT repaints the traffic lanes Wednesday for the extended traffic pattern shift, traffic signals in that area will be on flashing red.
By Feb. 6, even more of the roadway in that area will be closed for the construction project.
Washington Street will be converted into a one-way street and see both of its westbound lanes closed, and the right eastbound lane of Hampton Street in that vicinity will also close.
“These traffic changes are anticipated to remain in place for approximately two years as construction progresses,” the city’s release states.
Work is already underway at the site of the new housing tower, which are actually two separate apartment buildings connected to each other. One side will offer student housing, while the other will offer market-rate apartments.
The $225 million project being build by developer Core Spaces will connect a 22-story student housing tower to a 26-story market-rate apartment building. The project will fill a gap on the 1400 block of Main Street, where for years there has been a large parking lot.
The project, which promises nearly 800 new apartments and up to 2,400 new beds, could double Columbia’s downtown population. It also includes retail and office space, plus a pedestrian plaza, bike racks, and places to sit outdoors.
That project dovetails with the city’s plans for an improved municipal complex next door at 1401 Main Street. The city is in the process of a $49.5 million effort to renovate the 12-story municipal complex.
