Photo shot over Taneycomo Bridge from Hollister city boundry overlooking Branson Convention Center DistrictMissouri's Department of Transportation (MODOT) issued a release soveral weeks ago regarding the Lake Taneycomo Bridge connecting Business 65/Route 76 to Hollister from Branson.
Lake Taneycomo Bridge Hollister Branson Artery
Missouri's Department of Transportation (MODOT) issued a release soveral weeks ago regarding the Lake Taneycomo Bridge connecting Business 65/Route 76 to Hollister from Branson.
The gracefully arching bridge was built by the Missouri State Highway Department in 1931-32 across the White River, now Lake Taneycomo at a cost of $160,00. The concrete bridge , 1087 feet long , is one of 30 bridges of this design that remain in use in Missouri and is the highest and longest of all and among the oldest and most ornate. It has five 195-foot long arching spans. with supporting columns in the spandrels or triangular open spaces, between the arch below and the deck above. It is and outstanding example of the open spandrel arch bridge design.
The bridge provides a tangible link to the history and culture of Branson and the Ozarks, which residents visitors and business owners find appealing. It is eligible for the National register of Historic Places. Its rating stands as one of the most historically significant bridges in use on Missouri's highway system. Any major work on the bridge requires care and potentially extra expense to keep from harming the historic significance.
Bridge Condition
The 75--year -old bridge is rated in poor condition. The concrete wearing surface, or floor, has been cracking over the years and has become water-saturated. as a result, the freeze-thaw, regular use of salt to clear the pavement of snow and ice and increasing traffic. have caused the deck to begin breaking up and some of the reinforcing steel inside the deck to corrode. Frequent repairs are needed to the bridge pavement and that slows work traffic.
It is only a matter of time-perhaps 5 to 10 years -- when the bridge will have to closed unless it is overhauled before then.
Bridge Preservation
MoDot is looking at ways to rhabilitate the bridge. No plan has been put together, but an engineering firm with experience in work on spandrel arch bridges has been hired to develop solutions and construction plans.
Whatever overhaul method is adopted, it appears that the bridge must be closed during construction. The deck bears the load between the outside supporting columns because there is not center support column. The deck will have to be replaced all the way across the bridge. If the bridge deck were sawed in half lengthwise to be replaced half at a time, it would fall in (as 4-by-8 foot sheet of plywood, supported by two 2-by-10-=inch boards, would collapse if cut lengthwise)
No timeline is available for how long the bridge would need to be closed. An overhaul probably can be planned and a contract awarded by late 2008, with construction in 2009. MoDOT has been able to budget about $3.5 million for such a project. Detour routes would be marked along state maintained roadways in the area.
In the meantime, MoDOT plans to grind off the top one inch of pavement and lay a driving surface. This will provide a temporary improvement to the ride and reduce repairs short term.
New Bridge
A new bridge could cost $7 million to $12 million-for an environmental study, design, buying property, building connecting road and building the bridge. . MoDOT has only $3.5. million available to fix the lake crossing.
Building a new bridge does not relieve responsibility for repairing existing bridge. If improved to good condition, the bridge rooted in Ozarks and Missouri history, can remain in use and contribute to Lake Taneycomo lakefront ambiance for years to come.
