The chances for a new bridge were pretty well sunk by the actions of the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT). After months of negotiation between the cities of Branson and Hollister, Taney Country and MoDOT’s District 8, local officials received word late last week that both District 8 and MoDOT at the state level had decided that MoDOT’s portion of the project cost was too much. As MoDOT’s District 8 Transportation Project Manager, Chad E. Zickefoose said, “The funds just aren’t there.”
At a Feb. 1 meeting in Springfield, the Taney County Commissioners, representative of the cities of Branson and Hollister, and MoDOT’s District 8 reviewed and agreed upon the “Project Cost Share Summary for the Taneycomo Bridge/Route 76 Cost Share Project”. The Summary set forth the proposed cost for the project, who was to pay what and would have served as the financial basis for the application for MoDOT cost sharing funds.
According to the Summary, of the total estimated project cost of $21.6 million, $13,445,149 was to be eligible for cost sharing. The remaining $8,116,735 would have been paid primarily by MoDOT. Of the total $21.6 million for the project, MoDOT, through cost sharing and otherwise, would have been paying $14,839,305 or about 68 percent of the total project.
MoDOT’s District 8 was to prepare the Cost Sharing Application and submit it to the cities of Branson and Hollister and to Taney County for review and execution so that it could be submitted to MoDOT’s Cost Sharing Committee by Mar. 1.
According to Zickefoose, during the process of preparing the application and communicating with MoDOT at the state level, it became apparent that the funds just weren’t there. One suggestion that MoDOT had was to go ahead and repair the old bridge with MoDOT paying, local entities and MoDOT sharing the cost of the roundabout, and that the new bridge be funded entirely by local funding.
The matter was discussed briefly by the Branson Board of Aldermen at its Feb. 19 Work Session Work. There was a noticeable lack of enthusiasm regarding MoDOT’s suggestion. Absent some other solution, the Lake Taneycomo Bridge, between downtown Branson and Hollister, will be close early in 2009 for approximately a year so that it can be repaired.
The matter will be discussed at the Partners In Progress meeting scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at Hollister City Hall on Thursday, Feb. 21.
Furnished courtesy of the Branson Daily Independent.
