By Gary J. Groman, a.k.a. The Ole Seagull
The rejection of the Proposition A retail sales tax by Taney County voters on Nov. 6, doesn’t change the problems posed by the condition of the Business Highway 65/MO 76 Bridge across Lake Taneycomo between Hollister and Branson. The bridge’s deck is deteriorating, the Missouri Department of Transportation [MoDOT] has about $5.5 million for the rehabilitation of the bridge, it will be necessary to close the bridge for about a year to make the repairs, and those repairs could begin as soon as the late fall of 2008.
Taney County Presiding Commissioner Chuck Pennel said, “The election results don’t change the fact that I believe the Taneycomo Bridge situation is one of our top transportation priorities and that we must put all our efforts into meeting that need.” He went on to point out that, in large part, those efforts will guided by the final recommendations of the Value Engineering Study [the study] currently being conducted by the Missouri Department of Transportation [MoDOT] which he expects to be released in the very near future.
Taney County Road and Bridge Administrator, Frank Preston, said, “The Lake Taneycomo Bridge is one of the major pieces of a comprehensive county wide transportation system. Preston is a member of the study team currently working on bridges deck and traffic problems. The study team initially met in the MoDOT District 8 offices in Springfield, Sep. 10 through 13, gave a status report on Sep. 13, and continued to do additional traffic modeling and cost estimate adjustments for some of the recommendations and alternatives that they had developed.
On Nov. 7, the study team met again prior to the issuing of their final report in the near future. MoDOT’s District 8 Transportation Project Manager, Chad E. Zickefoose said that the additional modeling and cost estimates done by the study team indicate that the revised roundabout that was developed during the initial session of the group would bring the cost of the bridge rehabilitation and roundabout up from $5.5 million to about $9.9 million.
Zickefoose indicated that with the rehabilitation of the bridge and the revised roundabout the bridge would be able to handle current and projected traffic at acceptable levels of service for the next 20 to 30 years. He also pointed out that, even with the original roundabout design and rehabilitation of the bridge, there would be acceptable levels of service for a few years. He went on to point out however, that the limitations of the original design would be unable to handle the projected increases in traffic over the next 20 years without a compromise in the levels of service.
When asked how the difference between the $5.5 million MoDOT currently has for the project and the $9.9 million needed for the new roundabout would be resolved Zickefoose said that MoDOT would do the best they could with the resources that were available, $5.5 million. He indicated that they would give the priority to rehabilitating the deck, getting two 12 foot traffic lanes and a sidewalk but that there was a possibility that esthetic features such as ornamental railings etc. might have to be sacrificed for something more cost efficient and utilitarian.
Zickefoose said that the work on the bridge would cause its closing for about a year and that the work on the bridge could start as soon as the late fall of 2008. He expressed the willingness of MoDOT to work with the local community in an effort come up with a solution but pointed out that there are budget, safety, and time limitations that govern MoDOTs flexibility.
Furnished courtesy of the Branson Daily Independent.
