Inspectors from the Missouri Department of Transportation will take a closer look at the historic but now-closed Gasconade River Bridge near Hazelgreen and see what can be done, said a MoDOT official Saturday at Route 66 Association of Missouri meeting in Rolla.
Bob Lynch, a MoDOT engineer, gave more specifics about the bridge’s problems and the possible alternatives, according to a report in the Rolla Daily News.
Lynch said the bridge is experiencing what is called “section loss.” The steel is rusting, he said, and later in response to questions, he said the steel of some I-beams has become so weak that a hammer blow can punch a hole through. […]
Lynch said there are no plans to remove the bridge.
“The bridge is not on our five-year transportation improvement program,” he said. “It is not on the list to be either taken down or replaced.”
So it will remain closed while MoDOT figures out what to do. […]
If the new evaluation finds the bridge can be repaired for $50,000 or less, it will likely be fixed and reopened. The chances of a 90-year-old bridge being repaired for that amount is remote.
The inspection might also show that the bridge could be reopened with a weight limit,” he said.
It’s clear MoDOT is feeling pressure from Route 66 enthusiasts and preservationists to repair the bridge — especially when a resident who lives near the bridge attested it hadn’t been maintained in 30 years. The agency’s tone is more conciliatory and open-minded than it was a few weeks ago, when the bridge was closed to all traffic.
A lot also has gone on with the Route 66 Gasconade Bridge page on Facebook. People have gathered documents to nominate the 1924 bridge to the National Register of Historic Places, combing through grant possibilities to help repair the bridge, and even a company that specializes in historic bridge repair offered technical support.
One person on the Facebook page, Brady Hargrove, reported late Monday he received an email from Dennis Heckman, another MoDOT engineer:
“We have the staff looking into the feasibility of our crew being able to make repairs such that it can be reopened to traffic. In the future, if it is determined that the bridge will be repaired or replaced with federal funds or permits it will go through Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act review process, in which the public and interested parties can participate.”
Also instructive is Conor Watkins’ before-and-after photos of the Devil’s Elbow Bridge in nearby Devil’s Elbow. It goes to show a very deteriorated bridge can indeed be fixed.
In the meantime, Swa Frantzen, owner of the Historic66.com site, provided bridge advocates guidance on what to do:
Actions all can participate in:
1. share and sign the petition (takes less than a minute)
2. Write letters to:
Missouri Department of Transportation
Central Office
105 W. Capitol Avenue
Jefferson City, MO 65102
1-888-ASK-MODOT (275-6636)
State Historic Preservation Office
P.O. Box 176
Jefferson City, MO 65102
800-361-4827
573-751-7858
Email: moshpo@dnr.mo.gov
Federal Highway Administration
3220 West Edgewood Drive,
Jefferson City, MO 65109
(573) 636-7104
raegan.ball@dot.gov
Another rally at the bridge will be at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 14.