The question is simple, how will the closing of the “Business 65 Bridge” over Lake Taneycomo for a year or more impact on our community and the lives of the thousands of people and the many businesses that use and depend on it daily, in terms of safety, economic impact, convenience, and quality of life? Unfortunately, the answers to the question are not as simple and, as often as not, lead to more questions without simple answers.
A recent news article reported the good news, that according to Missouri Department of Transportation, MoDOT, Project Manager Chad Zickefoose, “The bridge isn’t in any danger of falling in.” Unfortunately, it also reported the bad news which, according to Zickefoose, is that “The deck is deteriorating fast” and will require repairs which will necessitate the closing of the bridge. Zickefoose is reported to have said that the closure would be for “a significant amount of time… in the vicinity of a year plus.”
When discussing this potentially hot button issue, the wise words of Hollister’s city administrator, Rick Ziegenfuss, come to mind. He said, “I feel very confident that MoDOT and the principals involved want to do the best they can for the area.” The Ole Seagull shares that sentiment, particularly as applies to MoDot and the personnel of District 8. Simply put, there are very few people that travel in and around the Branson area that do not reap the blessings of their efforts on our behalf.
That said however, it is hard to understand how a project of this magnitude, having this much impact on our community, could progress to the point of a public announcement of apparently being a “done deal” without more public awareness of what was going on. Why was there not more public discourse on the issue and how the proposed action ties into the overall long term comprehensive transportation plan for solving the immediate and future transportation needs of those traveling, living, and working in the area east of Lake Taneycomo?
To an Ole Seagull the governing words here are not “more public discourse.” The governing words are “How the proposed action ties into the overall long term comprehensive transportation plan” for solving the obvious, and growing transportation needs that have been present since before the building of the Ozark Mountain Highroad. Time can dim the mind and lead some to hope that history will change the reality of what was done. Over a hundred million dollars was spent to build the Highroad on a priority emergency basis for the alleged expressed purpose of relieving Branson’s traffic congestion.
Oh there was plenty of public discourse, but what there wasn’t was an overall long term comprehensive transportation plan showing, how, with the funds and resources available at the time, that the expenditure of over a hundred million dollars would solve Branson’s traffic congestion problem as it existed at the time. History and today’s reality testify as to how effective the expenditure of those millions of dollars was in solving the problem. Praise God for the city of Branson’s initiative in building its alternative road system!
Although, the building of the Highroad cost over a hundred million dollars, it did not impact on the daily lives of the number of people and businesses or entail the community sacrifice that the closing of the Taneycomo Bridge will. Before our community pays that price and makes that sacrifice, is it totally inappropriate to ask to see an overall long term comprehensive transportation plan for solving the immediate and future transportation needs of those traveling, living, and working in Taney County east of Lake Taneycomo?
You know, the overall plan developed jointly by MoDot and the principals most directly involved, the cities of Branson and Hollister, and Taney County. The one that presents a coordinated and agreed upon approach to solving the immediate and future transportation needs of the effected area. The more the Ole Seagull inquires about the existence of such a plan however the more he just gets a queasy Highroad déjà vu kind of feeling.
