The president of the Route 66 Association of Missouri said in a video posted Monday on social media that the state’s requirement of unattainable insurance for the organization to take over ownership of the closed Gasconade River Bridge has attracted the attention of the federal government.
Rich Dinkela began the Facebook post with this message: “We are gaining support but we need to keep the pressure on!!”
He says the Missouri Department of Transportation rejected the association’s proposal to take over ownership of the nearly century-old bridge because of a lack of insurance.
Dinkela says the state’s insurance requirements are “not attainable,” which attracted the attention of federal highway officials.
“Right now, we’re waiting for MoDOT and federal highways to convene and render some sort of decision on the bridge,” he said.
Dinkela said an outpouring of requests by Route 66 enthusiasts to state and federal officials to preserve the bridge have come from all over the world. He says enthusiasts should call or keep writing emails or letters to those officials listed in the post “to keep the pressure on” and “have our voices heard.”
Dinkela also gave MoDOT a message: “Let us have the bridge. Quit making excuses. Quit telling us lies. Quit moving the goalposts. Just get out of the way and let us do the job.”
State officials closed the nearly century-old bridge 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.
(Image of the Gasconade River Bridge courtesy of MaryPetrina Photography)
Looking at this as a UK resident, we here have for years suffered from the same demands for insurance for real or imaginary risks that would have been shrugged off in saner times. I have to say that the blame-and-claim game came to us from the USA, with its legions of ambulance-chasing lawyers. Now the likes of the MoDoT is in the same racket. We used to be able to sign a simple disclaimer form if we wanted to visit a potentially dangerous site – I have been over many industrial plants in the past, officially by accepting responsibility for my own safety. Now, it needs a half-day safety induction course!!! Apart from handing over a piece of state-owned property to private individuals, the MoDoT just want to see the old bridge demolished. It also has no sense of history.
This is a historic Ozark Trail AND Route 66 bridge, both entities rich with American history. I pray U.S. Congress and Prez B. takes action to preserve our Americana Culture.
Hello Eric. Yes, I am also in England, having travelled “66” by Fiat Panda in 2001 and 2006, besides bits of the Route in other years. I agree with everything you write. This attitude is stifling initiative. What would we have done in the last War if that degree of caution prevailed. Roaming’ Rich has boundless energy. I wish him and the Association all success.