The Route 66 Association of Missouri could take over ownership of the historic Route 66 Gasconade River Bridge near Hazelgreen by May or June.
Gary Sosniecki wrote a report about the association’s winter meeting at Route 66 State Park in Eureka for the Lebanon-Laclede County Route 66 Society.
Association President Rich Dinkela and Vice President Philip Denton sounded an optimistic tone during their report on the bridge.
However, the organization would have until late 2024 to stabilize the nearly 100-year-old span, or else it would revert to Missouri Department of Transportation ownership.
“I believe we’re going to get a transfer of this bridge,” Denton said. “I believe it’ll be May or June of this year.” […]
After other efforts to find a new owner for the bridge failed, the Route 66 Association of Missouri proposed in early 2020 that it assume ownership of the bridge with the goal of rehabilitating it for pedestrian and bicycle use. On Feb. 2, 2021, MoDOT rejected the association’s proposal, saying it failed “to adequately demonstrate a plan for the preservation and maintenance of the bridge or meet MoDOT’s requirements for assuming ownership and liability for the bridge.”
“Finally, the Federal Highway Administration came to our rescue,” Denton said Saturday. The federal agency told MoDOT to resume negotiations with the Route 66 Association.
Dinkela said the key is that the two sides actually are negotiating now, although “there are plenty of negotiating points still out there.”
He said the type and amount of insurance, which had hung up early negotiations with MoDOT, no longer is an issue.
By Feb. 1, the association must submit an amended proposal on the bridge to MoDOT.
Denton said an engineering study on the bridge was done in 2018, but another must be performed. The earlier study stated total costs to rehabilitate the bridge were $2.5 million.
First on the association’s to-do list would be removing the concrete deck from the bridge and stabilizing it so it doesn’t come apart during a flood. The association will try to raise $1.25 million for that part of the work.
Officials closed the bridge to vehicular traffic in 2014 after a state inspection revealed grave deterioration in the structure.
MoDOT later built a new bridge a few yards away from the old bridge and the Interstate 44 bridge.
(Image of the Gasconade River Bridge near Hazelgreen, Missouri, in September 2014 by Indtrigg via Flickr)
The Road Crew (band) is proud of our association president for heading up so many good causes. He was the right choice for 66 leadership. Proud to be a member of the Missouri Route 66 Association.
Good to hear the two sides are talking. Without that, there is no hope.
That $2.5M has now grown to $2.9M based on inflation alone (a loose calculation). https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/ Add in additional work needed due to the passage of time, and that’s one giant chunk of money for the association to raise in less than 1.5 years. I sure hope they can do it.