Rich Dinkela, president of the Route 66 Association of Missouri, said Thursday on a video he wants the association to take over ownership of the endangered Gasconade River Bridge near Hazelgreen.
Dinkela said he’s seeking a groundswell of support to persuade the Missouri association to approve his proposal at its board meeting Saturday afternoon at Fort Leonard Wood Ellisville.
Noting the vote Saturday might be close, he’s asking for Route 66 enthusiasts to post on the association’s Facebook page, stating their support of his plan.
More than 30 people posted their support of Dinkela’s plan on the association’s page as of Thursday night.
Long term, Dinkela says he wants to raise money to replace the bridge’s deck so it can be used as a span for pedestrians and cyclists.
The Route 66 Gasconade River Bridge Guardians so far have unsuccessfully sought other owners of the bridge, including Laclede County. It faces an April 20 deadline from the Missouri Department of Transportation to find a new owner of the bridge, or else the agency will tear down the nearly century-old span.
State officials closed the bridge to traffic in December 2014 after an inspection revealed grave deterioration in the structure. MoDOT later built a new bridge a few yards away from the old bridge and Interstate 44.
UPDATE 2/2/2020: Dinkela said Sunday the Missouri Route 66 board tabled the proposal until later this month.
(Image of the Gasconade River Bridge near Hazelgreen, Missouri, in September 2014 by Indtrigg via Flickr)