Missouri Bicycle News

According to a Columbia Missourian article, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources disputes the figure given by bridge advocates for converting the Boonville lift bridge for trail use:

Retrofitting the old Boonville railroad bridge for pedestrian use could cost from $1 million to more than $11 million. It all depends on who you ask.

The Save the Katy Bridge Coalition, which has been raising money to pay for renovations to the steel bridge, received a bid from Phillips Grading & Construction this month that confirms its estimate of $1 million for the project.

The state Department of Natural Resources, however, maintains that renovating the bridge for pedestrian use would cost $11.5 million, not including maintenance and insurance.

The article does have one bit of misleading information:

Even if the Save the Katy Bridge Coalition is able to raise the $1 million it says is needed, the bridge will not necessarily be spared. That’s because their goal does not include money to buy the bridge from Union Pacific Railroad Co.

Union Pacific owns the bridge and wants to tear it down to use the metal for another bridge east of Jefferson City.

In fact, this is not necessary under the terms of original agreement that created the Katy Trail.

Under that agreement, Union Pacific retains ownership of the bridge but is required to leave it in place and must give permission to use the bridge for trail purposes.

The state gave away those important rights in a agreement signed in May 2006, but the validity of that giveaway is what is being challenged in two separate court cases.

Related link: Summary of issues surrounding the MKT bridge at Boonville. permanent link to article: "Boonville bridge cost estimate controversy"
posted by Brent Hugh at 3/04/2006 09:51:00 AM |comment on this article