The closed Gasconade River Bridge that carries old Route 66 near Hazelgreen, Missouri, was placed on the Missouri Department of Transportation’s Statewide Transportation Improvement Program from 2015 to 2019, according to the Lebanon Daily Record.
The state closed the bridge in December 2014 after an inspection revealed its deterioration made it unsafe. Route 66 enthusiasts conducted a series of “Repair, Don’t Replace” rallies for the bridge, with another tentatively scheduled for spring 2016.
The bridge also made Missouri Preservation’s Most Endangered Historic Places list.
The state says the bridge will remain closed indefinitely because MoDOT lacks the funding to repair or replace it. The state’s fuel-tax funding has continued to decline in recent years, and the agency announced it would defer maintenance on some roads because of the shortfall.
MoDOT District Engineer Bob Lynch explained Thursday that the bridge has been added to the scoping category of the STIP, meaning that it will undergo a preliminary engineering phase. The scoping process will include consideration of any environmental and historical factors that would affect a project at the bridge, as well as exploration of possible solutions to the bridge’s shortcomings.
Lynch said that scoping process could lead to a variety of possible solutions and that MoDOT is not yet focusing on any one plan for the bridge.
Bill Cary wrote on the Route 66 Gasconade River Bridge page on Facebook:
Let me clarify the significance of this event. Having worked on project development efforts on numerous federal-aid highway projects over my 38 year career, I can assure you that this is very big news. Our grassroot efforts have made an impact! The historic, environmental and preliminary studies are required steps in a long and extensive process to make the decision on the future of the bridge. Without this, any many more extensive efforts, there would be no project. The FHWA along other organizations and agencies are bound by federal laws to follow this carefully defined process. It involves a lot of time and effort. The good news for us is that the process involves a comprehensive public involvement component. That’s where we come in. Our work is just beginning. This will take several years due to the complexity of the project and the rigidly defined steps to seek and achieve concurrence on every aspect of the evaluation and reviews. A formal evaluation of alternatives will be presented and refined as this moves forward. Stay tuned! Now is the time to be articulate and supportive of our vision for the future of the Gasconade Bridge restoration project.
MoDOT is motivated to repair or replace the bridge because it serves as an alternate route if an accident closes nearby Interstate 44.
Meanwhile, efforts continue to place the bridge on the National Register of Historic Places. Placement of the bridge on the National Register doesn’t guarantee its survival, but it makes it more difficult for the state to tear it down.
According to Bridgehunter.com, the 525-foot bridge was built in 1922 to 1924 of three styles of trusses.
(Image of the Gasconade River Bridge via Missouri Preservation)
Excellent news!
If this info was taken from the October 2015 Lebanon Daily Record, it is incorrect. I have personally talked to Bob Lynch on this issue. He requested the LDR publish a correction to the article, but they did not. MoDot’s Central District is currently proposing projects for the 2017-2021 fiscal years (STIP), and the Gasconade Bridge has been PROPOSED for inclusion in the STIP……….but the STIP (State Transportation Improvement Projects) probably won’t be approved till July 2016.