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Widening Plans Advance for Bear Creek Pike, Bridge Replacement Also in Motion

Issue #464

June 12, 2025

In this What’s Up Columbia issue…

🌥️ Columbia’s Weather - Partly to mostly cloudy w/ high of 86 & low of 70

📰 Widening Plans Advance for Bear Creek Pike, Bridge Replacement Also in Motion

📰 Loitering at Library Prompts Budget Debate Over Full-Time Security

📰 Spring Hill Publix Sells $37M and $4M Lottery Tickets Days Apart

🗓 List of Upcoming Events

🎵 This Week’s Live Music

🗓 Know of Some Local Events Not Listed? Send us the Details!

Widening Plans Advance for Bear Creek Pike, Iron Bridge Replacement Also in Motion

Credit: City of Columbia

Two long-awaited infrastructure projects in Columbia are gaining traction, bringing long-term improvements to the city's most heavily traveled roads.

The Bear Creek Pike widening project, nearly a decade in the making, is entering a critical new phase. Columbia City Council will vote on a $350,000 agreement to acquire necessary roadway easements—an essential step toward breaking ground. The project aims to widen Bear Creek Pike from U.S. 31 to Tom J. Hitch Parkway, with added turn lanes and updated traffic signals to reduce congestion at Columbia's busiest intersection.

The project is fully funded through federal and state dollars and is part of a broader vision to eventually widen Bear Creek Pike all the way to the I-65 interchange. Although the full extension hasn’t yet secured funding, the upcoming improvements represent meaningful progress toward that long-term goal.

Meanwhile, another long-discussed upgrade is also advancing: the replacement of the one-lane bridge on Iron Bridge Road. The city council is expected to approve a $304,148 contract with Barge Design Solutions to oversee construction. Plans call for the outdated bridge to be expanded into a two-lane structure with a large shoulder and a multi-use path, improving both safety and pedestrian access.

This project also benefits from federal funding, with a $1.3 million grant awarded in 2022 by the Greater Nashville Regional Council. Construction on the bridge could begin as early as this summer or fall, marking the start of a safer and more accessible roadway for drivers and pedestrians alike.

Loitering at Library Prompts Budget Debate Over Full-Time Security

Maury County commissioners remain divided on how to address growing security concerns at the Columbia Public Library, where reports of loitering and unauthorized activity—primarily involving homeless individuals—have prompted calls for a more consistent security presence.

At a special-called Budget Committee meeting on June 2, commissioners discussed whether to hire a private security guard or assign a sheriff’s deputy to patrol the premises during library hours. A proposed $85,000 budget item would fund a full-time private guard, but some committee members questioned the need for such spending, citing existing patrol responsibilities of law enforcement.

Library staff have reported that some individuals use the facility to sleep, eat, and perform hygiene routines, which has created an uncomfortable environment for patrons. Staff members, however, are not trained or authorized to enforce behavioral rules beyond general oversight.

While some commissioners emphasized that homeless individuals have the legal right to use public spaces unless they become disruptive, others raised concerns about safety, pointing to individuals with known mental health issues or aggressive behavior.

Columbia police and the sheriff’s department reportedly plan to increase patrol frequency around the library, and nearby infrastructure changes—such as the removal of benches and relocation of a popular bus stop—are expected to help reduce loitering.

Financial comparisons also played a major role in the discussion. County finance officials noted that staffing a full-time sheriff’s deputy could ultimately cost more than a private contractor, once benefits and overtime are factored in.

Some commissioners expressed skepticism that occasional law enforcement visits would effectively deter loitering. A few residents have reportedly stopped visiting the library due to safety concerns.

The Budget Committee ultimately leaned toward including the $85,000 appropriation in the upcoming budget while reserving the option to later determine whether the position should be filled by a private guard or sheriff’s deputy. The final decision on the security provider will rest with the full county commission.

Spring Hill Publix Sells $37M and $4M Lottery Tickets Days Apart

Good fortune has found its way to the Publix store on Main Street in Spring Hill, which recently sold not one but two major winning lottery tickets in just a matter of days.

The first big win came on June 7 when the store sold a Lotto America ticket worth a staggering $37.37 million jackpot. Just three days later, a Mega Millions ticket sold at the same location matched five of the six numbers drawn, earning a $4 million prize.

Neither winner has stepped forward to claim their prize, but both have 180 days from the date of the drawing to do so. The $4 million Mega Millions prize is an all-cash payout, while the $37.37 million Lotto America jackpot can be claimed as a lump sum or through annuity payments. The cash value of the jackpot is estimated at $16.8 million.

For its part in the luck, Publix will receive $5,000 for each winning ticket sold, bringing the store’s bonus total to $10,000.

The Tennessee Lottery is reminding the lucky ticket holders to sign the back of their tickets and contact the Lottery’s Nashville office to begin the claim process.

Upcoming Local Events

🗓 Have an event to add? Send us the Details!

Thursday, June 12th

Friday, June 13th

Saturday, June 14th

Sunday, June 15th

📌 Mark Your Calendars…

June 21: Experience Spring Hill, The Event

🎵 This Week’s Live Music

Thursday, June 12th

Josey Clay, Puckett’s, 6:00 - 7:30 PM
Todd Ciprian, Tito’s Spring Hill, 6:00-9:00 PM
The Grove Trio, Whiskey Alley Saloon, 7:00 PM

Friday, June 13th

Open Mic Night, Grinder’s Switch Winery, 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Shannon McCue, McCreary’s Irish Pub, 7:00 - 9:00 PM
Josh Hastik, Grazie Italian Eatery, 6:30 - 9:30 PM
Velvet Troubadours, Buck & Board, 6:00 - 9:00 PM
TBA, The Spot Burgers & Beers, 5:00 - 8:00 PM
Lynnmarie & E3, Puckett’s, 6:00 - 7:30 PM
Rob Harris, Tito’s Spring Hill, 6:00 - 8:00 PM

Saturday, June 14th 

The Bird & The Bear, Grazie Italian Eatery, 6:30 - 9:30 PM
Andrew Pearson, Buck & Board, 5:00 - 8:00 PM
Sean Carson, Keg Springs Winery, 2:00 - 5:00 PM
Box of Rocks, Amber Falls Winery, 3:00 - 7:00 PM
Summer on the Rocks Party, Southern Tre/ Whiskey Alley Saloon, 4:00 PM
Russ Taff w/ Chagall Guevara, Ryan Stevenson, River & Rail, The Mulehouse, 7:30 PM
Ricky Ray, Puckett’s, 7:30 - 9:00 PM
Escape, Fozzy’s Bar & Grill, 8:00 - 11:00 PM

Sunday, June 15th

Carson Phillips, Amber Falls Winery, 1:00-5:00 PM
Jacob Frish, Fozzy’s Bar & Grill, 4:00-7:00 PM
Jay Hoppus, Puckett’s, 6:00-7:30 PM

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