Fate of Gasconade River Bridge dominates county meeting

What to do about the closed Gasconade River Bridge near Hazelgreen, Missouri, “dominated” discussion during a recent meeting of the Laclede County board of commissioners, according to a local newspaper.

The Lebanon Daily Record (subscription required) reported the talk about the bridge took place during a budget hearing last week.

Lebanon City Council member and Route 66 Society member Chuck Jordan proposed that Laclede County partner with the City of Lebanon, Pulaski County, St. Robert and Waynesville to fund an engineering survey of the bridge.

Jordan said the purpose of the survey would be to determine what it would take to make the bridge available for pedestrian traffic, and Laclede County’s portion of the funding would be about $3,000.

“The good of the bridge is good for both counties and all three of the cities involved in that,” Jordan said. “(They) all receive traffic from both ends of that.”

The newspaper didn’t mention how county commissioners responded to Jordan’s proposal. Then again, in my experience, county officials often keep their opinions close to the vest. But it’s notable the bridge has an advocate with the Lebanon city council.

The ongoing sentiment by Route 66 fans is to “repair not, replace” the historic bridge. If that’s not possible, preservationists want the state to build a new bridge near the site and leave the old bridge standing. The Missouri Department of Transportation held a hearing last month in Lebanon to lay out the options for the bridge, and those two alternatives found the most favor.

The option of leaving the old bridge standing next to a new structure comes with a catch:  Another entity needs to take over ownership of the old bridge. Route 66 advocates have suggested Laclede County take over responsibility, which led to such discussion at the recent county budget meeting.

The state closed the bridge in December 2014 after an inspection revealed unsafe conditions because of deterioration. Route 66 enthusiasts held a series of “Repair, Don’t Replace” rallies for the bridge.

The bridge also made Missouri Preservation’s Most Endangered Historic Places list.

According to Bridgehunter.com, the 525-foot bridge was built in 1922 to 1924 of three styles of trusses.

(Vintage postcard image of Gasconade River Bridge courtesy of 66Postcards.com)