Missouri Bicycle News

The fate of the MK&T Railroad bridge continues to hang in the balance, but according to Paula Shannon, the scale may be tipping in favor of those who wish to develop the bridge as part of the Katy Trail.

"There seems to be concern that if the bridge comes down, a precedent would be set for interruption to the Katy Trail," said Shannon, organizer of Boonville's Save the Bridge Committee. "There is concern in Jefferson City that this would set an unfavorable model for the trail."

The bridge, although part of the widely-used Katy Trail that spans across Missouri, has yet to be developed as part of the recreational trail.

Shannon's committee hopes to change that, but is racing the clock to abort Union Pacific's plans to demolish the structure. Some are saying that a decision will be reached as early as March 1.

Shannon's lobbying efforts, directed at officials in the state capitol and in Washington, D.C., have evolved to the point that she feels the fate of the bridge lies in the hands of Governor Matt Blunt.

After last week's effective e-mail and letter writing campaign to elected representatives, she is encouraging concerned citizens to now contact Blunt, informing him of their strong support to preserve the bridge.

• Columbia Mayor Darwin Hindman speaks out in favor of saving the bridge (Sep 2004)
  
• NPR report on the effort to save teh bridge (Dec 2004)
  
• Working to save the bridge (Feb 2005)
  
• ADVOCACY ALERT (Feb 2005)