Hundreds of historic preservationists and Route 66ers showed up Saturday afternoon for Gasconade River Bridge rally near Hazelgreen, Missouri, to persuade the Missouri Department of Transportation to preserve the Route 66 bridge.
KY3 in Springfield, Missouri, posted this good report from the rally:
Based on the station’s reporting, it seems MoDOT will not reopen the bridge to traffic, but it won’t knock it down, either. Apparently the agency is looking at building an entirely new bridge nearby.
The doesn’t mean the rally was all grim. It gave people a chance to show up in their classic rides, as this video by Joe Sonderman shows:
But funding remains an issue — revenue from gas taxes continues to stagnate or decline as vehicles become more fuel-efficient.
The state closed the 1922 bridge in December 2014 after an inspection revealed its deterioration made it unsafe. Route 66 enthusiasts conducted at least two “Repair, Don’t Replace” rallies for the bridge.
(Image of the Gasconade River Bridge Rally by Rhys Martin via Facebook)