A week from today, a group of Route 66 aficionados and historic preservationists will hold a rally to save the now-closed Gasconade River Bridge that carried old Route 66 near Hazelgreen, Missouri.
The rally Saturday at the west end of the bridge is designed to draw media attention. But the most noteworthy part of the day may come after the event.
According to the news release:
Following the 3:00 p.m. rally, attendees will meet with other activists, historic preservationists, members of the Route 66 Association of Missouri, Laclede County Government Officials and officials from the state to discuss the Gasconade River Bridge and what can be done to save this historic structure. This meeting will be held at 5:00 p.m. at the Lebanon-Laclede County Library, located at 915 S. Jefferson St. Everyone with questions, specific interests, or desired involvement in the bridge is welcome to attend. The intent of the meeting is to discuss plans of action, forming of a committee, and discussion of any developments or findings since the last rally in December 2014.
The reason this is significant is because the involvement of the Route 66 Association of Missouri gives the gathering more legitimacy. And the fact officials from Laclede County also will attend might bring some new ideas on how to save and reopen the bridge. In my experience, a meeting of such a large group with a variety of government officials often bears promising fruit. We’ll have to wait to see what transpires.
It also was reported recently that the bridge indeed is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. If such a listing occurs, it would give some protection — although not total — from the bridge being torn down.
The Gasconade River Bridge, built between 1922 and 1924, was closed by the Missouri Department of Transportation in mid-December after an inspection found structural deterioration.
Until the bridge can be repair and considered safe for regular traffic. Why not open it with a low weight limit. People wanting to travel the Mother road on a motorcycle or classic -muscle car can still enjoy 66. At the least it could be open to motorcycle traffic only temporarily.
Preservation of our history, be it through structures or documentation of personal histories, is very important. A collective effort needs to be made to preserve these “artifacts” so that future generations can learn from and hopefully enjoy them in person.
While it would be great if those who would like to rally for this cause could be present, physical constraints make showing up in person hard for many of us. If instead, a means of rallying at local sites along Route 66 could be done to add support for this and other important sites. Each community could designate a local site to rally at and then document and share via the internet and other means. This would provide an opportunity for the attendees to learn about the local site and create a on-line “record” that can be shared by anyone who is intrested; and demonstrate that Route 66 is a global community.