By Gary J. Groman, a.k.a. The Ole Seagull
By the narrowest of margins, Branson Mayor Raeanne Presley breaking a 3 to 3 tie vote of the city of Branson’s Board of Aldermen, the board voted to support the building of a new bridge across Lake Taneycomo just north of the current Business Highway 65/MO 76 Bridge across Lake Taneycomo (the bridge). The vote came at a special board meeting held Dec. 4 to specifically discuss the bridge. The meeting was presided over by Mayor Presley and attended by Aldermen, Jack Purvis, Sandra Williams, Stan Barker, Bob McDowell, Dick Gass, and Stephen Marshall.
At the outset of the meeting Mayor Presley introduced Hollister City Administrator, Rick Ziegenfuss and asked him to give the board an overview on the bridge situation and the current status. During his presentation, Ziegenfuss pointed out that although the community has been working on a solution for the traffic congestions associated with the bridge for years, things came to a head in August when the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) announced that the bridge would be closed for a year to, among other things repair a deteriorating deck.
He explained that as a result of the public outcry over the closing of the bridge, in September MoDOT convened a Value Engineering Study to look at options. The options were of two types, constrained and unrestrained. The constrained options were what could be done with the $5.5 million dollars currently available to MoDOT to address the bridge situation. The unconstrained options addressed alternatives that are dependent on additional funding. The constrained options all involved closing the bridge for up to a year whereas the unconstrained options provided a means of keeping the bridge open.
In giving his overview of some of the various options, both constrained and unconstrained Ziegenfuss explained why he believed that option B-10 provided the best solution. Option B-10 is an unconstrained option costing in the area of $17 plus million dollars not including its tie in with the southern end of Branson Landing Boulevard and the handling of traffic currently traveling to and from south of that point.
Option B-10 involves the rehabilitation of the current bridge and the building of a new two lane bridge, immediately to the north of the current bridge that would connect with Branson Landing Boulevard. Under this option, both bridges would have two way traffic, pedestrians would have to use the new bridge, and those coming into Branson from the Hollister side would have a choice of coming into Branson on Highway 76, much as is currently being done or going down to Branson Landing Boulevard. It would eliminate the need to close the current bridge until the new bridge was built and ready to handle its daily traffic flow.
During the aldermen’s discussion the matter of financing, alternative routing, and the need for long term planning was discussed. City Engineer David Miller expressed his concern about the increased costs that could be involved with the tie in of the bridge at its eastern end at the southern end of Branson Landing Boulevard and the handling of traffic currently going to and coming from the camp ground and points south of that point. He also expressed concern about the possible deterioration in the A and B levels of service on Branson Landing Boulevard.
Alderwoman Williams shared the results of the approximately 30 phone calls she received from people. She said that, although there were people who would support a new bridge, there was not one that would support it in that location. She went on to pint out that a lot of them felt that “we are being reactive not proactive” and that the reason we are having this discussion today is because the bridge will be closed for a year. Alderman Gass suggested that was nothing compared to the calls that they will all be getting if the bridge is closed.
Alderman McDowell pointed out that we are just now in the beginning stages of the traffic developing for the convention center and that there will be a very significant increase in traffic over the next few years. He expressed his concern about dropping traffic into an area that is already congested, whether or not this was the best long term solution and asked, “Is this the decision we would make if the bridge would not be shut down for a year?”
Alderman Purvis made a motion that the city support the B-10 alternative. The board tied on the vote with Aldermen Gass, Purvis, and Barker voting “Yes” and Aldermen Williams, McDowell, and Marshall voting “No.” Mayor Presley broke the tie with a “Yes” vote. Mayor Presley said that is the position they will present to MoDOT as the dialogue on the bridges future continues.
Furnished courtesy of the Branson Daily Independent.
