Whether or not the Business Highway 65/MO 76 Bridge across Lake Taneycomo will be closed and, if it is, for how long has not yet been determined. It is but one factor that will be considered as the Missouri Department of Transportation, MoDOT, conducts a Value Engineering Study to address the problems presented by the bridges deteriorating deck and other related issues.
Representatives of the cities of Hollister and Branson and Taney County met with officials of MoDOT’s District 8 at Hollister City Hall on Aug. 8 regarding the bridge and Hollister roundabout project. Chad E. Zickefoose, MoDOT’s District 8 Transportation Project Manager said that MoDOT is “Working to set up a Value Engineering Study with the tentative dates of Sep. 10-13.” He went on to point out that the study will bring people with varying areas of expertise, and others, together to study just that project in detail.
Zickefoose said, “By the end of the three [or four days] they will develop a report and make a recommendation to senior management on what their preferred solution is to the problem.” The city of Branson’s Mayor, Raeanne Presley specifically asked, “Will the Value Engineering Study be just for the bridge and roundabout?” Kirk E. Juranas, MoDOT’s District 8 Engineer responded, “Just for the bridge and roundabout.” As other alternatives, including a new bridge, were being discussed Juranas pointed out that money was an issue and that MoDOT only had $3.5 million available for the bridge.
After the formal meeting ended and Juranas had listened to all the comments and suggestions he was asked the question, “Will the Value Engineering Study be limited to a $3.5 million dollar solution or will it consider some of the other more costly alternatives? Juranas expressed his opinion that it would take a two pronged approach, one limited to the funding that is available and a second that would consider other practical and fiscally sound and possible alternatives.
In preparation for not only for the Value Engineering Study, but the planning for a long term solution to the problems that people traveling over the bridge encounter everyday, Rick Ziegenfuss, Hollister’s City Administrator, suggested that it might be helpful to put together a list of imperatives to be used to help insure that the end result is one that, everyone can agree, solves the problem. As the meeting progressed a list of things that the “solution” should accomplish was developed.
That list included, among other things, that the solution must be long term, not close the bridge for a long period of time, permit pedestrian access from one side to the other, maintain the old bridge structure, and provide adequate lighting. In discussing just how long the closing of the bridge was too long, Branson’s Mayor Raeanne Presley pointed out that MoDOT’s original statement, that it would be closed for one year, makes “anything less… an improvement.”
The MoDOT officials present seemed acutely aware of the problems that the closing of the bridge would cause the community. MoDOT’s Zickefoose said, “There are other methods that can be used to reduce the time of closure.” One of those methods involves the pre casting of sections near the bridge, which can be done if there is space nearby.
Although there were a number of suggestions made, most of them revolved around building a new bridge and keeping the current bridge open until that was done. The one suggestion that appeared to have the most initial support from the group was the building a new bridge across Lake Taneycomo that would connect with Branson Landing Boulevard.
Interim Branson City Administrator, Frank Schoneboom, expressed his opinion that the idea had potential and said that Branson Landing Boulevard is a beautiful road that is “Really, at this point, under-utilized.” In a general discussion after the meeting it was also pointed out that such routing would also provide multiple routes for traffic to conveniently access to the businesses and services located in historic downtown Branson.
A similar meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sept. 5 at Hollister City Hall to discuss the issues and help provide input for the MoDOT Value Engineering Studies.
Furnished courtesy of the Branson Daily Independent.
