On the morning after the Minneapolis bridge collapse, on my way to work, I crossed the old bridge spanning Lake Taneycomo. [Highway 76 between Branson and Hollister.]
And I did so with more than the usual trepidation that I feel during my twice daily crossing of that 76 year old bridge. I am sure that many Taney Countians feel the same. Who hasn’t sat on that bridge during high traffic periods and felt the bridge shake and tremble? If you were at the Partners for Progress meeting on July 19 you would have heard MoDOT district engineer Mr. Kirk Juranas say things that could not inspire confidence in the bridge. Describing the bridge he used the word "rot," said that the deck was in "very poor" condition, said that the deck had "deteriorated severely," said that the bridge would have to be brought down if it was not soon rehabilitated.
Is there any doubt in your mind that the bridge is not structurally deficient? According to the bridgehunter.com website, the Taneycomo bridge was last inspected in 2001, when it was rated as structurally deficient. That rating may be merely programmatic to MoDOT, but it is not encouraging to the thousands of people crossing the bridge everyday. The deficiencies in this bridge cannot be remedied anytime soon.
Closing the bridge is not viewed by many as an option. In the light of these facts, and in order to instill some confidence in travellers, MoDOT should undertake an immediate and exhaustive inspection of the bridge. In addition to that, Taney County should hire an engineering firm to conduct an independent inspection and evaluation. Then, and only then, might regular travellers of the bridge feel some confidence in its safety. In the meantime, MoDOT and Taney County officials should begin planning for the financing and construction of a new bridge as soon as possible. Not to do take these measures would seem irresponsible. Phil Carman, Hollister