Bill Farnham, a commissioner for the Pulaski County, Mo., board, appears to be doing his darnedest to repair the deteriorating Devil’s Elbow Bridge in the Route 66 settlement of Devil’s Elbow.
From the Waynesville Daily Guide:
Pulaski County Commissioner Bill Farnham has made restoration of the Devil’s Elbow Bridge on the original path of Route 66 one of his highest-profile projects, and told commissioners Thursday morning that he’d like to authorize grant writers to begin efforts to obtain another $400,000 grant.
The complete Devil’s Elbow project will cost $1.6 million and county officials so far have been able to piece together $1.1 million worth of grants. Farnham said he’s spoken to Kelly Sink-Blair with the Meramec Regional Planning Commission who believes the residents of the Devil’s Elbow area may have low enough income that the area would qualify for a Community Development Block Grant. […]
The bridge has deteriorated to the point that it can no longer be used by heavy traffic such as tour buses. That lack of funds is a mixed blessing that has preserved a historic bridge.
“There are very few bridges of that era left; so many of them have been torn down and replaced,” Farnham said.
Farnham said he’s also considering grants that would require redesignation of the bridge as a one-lane bridge with a bike trail alongside the traffic lane since the bridge is already narrower than would be considered proper for modern two-way traffic. That could help reach the needed $1.6 million in road funds, he said.
Farnham isn’t a Johnny-come-lately on the bridge issue. He are previous stories about his efforts to rehab thte bridge. He deserves a lot of praise for his persistence in trying to find solutions for this problem.