Legislators visit Lick Creek bridge set to be rebuilt in 2020
Times photo/Norene Prososki Missouri Department of Transportation area engineer Elquin Auala, left, 155th District Rep. Karla Eslinger, Ozark County Presiding Commissioner John Turner, 154th District Rep. David Evans and MoDOT district bridge engineer Ed Hess met Thursday, March 21, to inspect the areas of damage and wear on the J Highway bridge over Lick Creek near Howards Ridge southeast of Gainesville. The group discussed MoDOT’s plans to replace the bridge in 2020 as part of Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s “Focus on Bridges” program.
The bridge over Lick Creek on J Highway southeast of Gainesville is showing some wear and tear, and the Missouri Department of Transportation says it’s time to replace it as part of Gov. Mike Parson’s infrastructure investment program “Focus on Bridges.” Out of the 10,385 bridges in Missouri, the J Highway bridge is one of 250 bridge projects selected for repair or replacement in the current statewide transportation improvement program. The J Highway span is the only Ozark County bridge on the MoDOT list.
Constructed in 1948, the bridge is showing cracks in some of the supporting columns, with rebar visible in a few places, along with other signs of old age and heavy use.
House District 155 Rep. Karla Eslinger, Ozark County Presiding Commissioner John Turner and District 154 Rep. David Evans met Missouri Department of Transportation engineers Elquin Auala and Ed Hess at the bridge Thursday afternoon, March 21, to inspect the damage and discuss plans to replace the bridge sometime next year.
“I appreciate the opportunity to discuss the plans to replace the bridge and to see firsthand the areas of damage and wear,” said Eslinger. “A big thank you to Rep. David Evans for coordinating the bridge tour and to our local Missouri State Highway Patrol officers for providing a safe tour for us.”
The existing bridge is 218 feet long and 20 feet wide. The new bridge will be 240 feet long and 24 feet wide and has an estimated cost of $1.3 million.
To pay for the bridge repairs and replacements across the state, Parson’s plan calls for MoDOT and the Missouri Office of Administration to enter into a financing agreement to fund the bridge projects. The program is set up to supplement existing transportation revenue with general revenue to pay off debt. It also calls for the bond proceeds to be deposited in the State Road Fund, which means the funds will be constitutionally protected and regularly audited, ensuring they are only used for state road and bridge projects.
J Highway will be closed to traffic during the construction of the new bridge.