Branson/Tri-Lakes News: MoDOT to resubmit Taneycomo Bridge plan

The Springfield Area District of the Missouri Department of Transportation plans to resubmit an application for the bridge and roundabout project known as Option A to the organization’s state cost-share review committee by Aug. 1, MoDOT District 8 Project Manager Chad Zickefoose said at a July 17 Partners in Progress meeting at Hollister Town Hall. Click here for a look at MoDOT's plan.

That option – a new bridge built nearly parallel and north of the current Lake Taneycomo Bridge – was favored after a June 17 public meeting in Hollister to discuss two options. Zickefoose said that of the more than 50 written comments he received, 65 percent favored Option A. The plan – which would connect East State Highway 76 with Branson Landing Boulevard and permit traffic in both directions on the new and current bridges, with a roundabout built on the Hollister side – also gained support of the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, after a presentation by Zickefoose in June, chamber CEO Ross Summers said.

Option B called for a new bridge to be built parallel to the current bridge and connect to Highway 76 on both the Hollister and Branson sides, Zickefoose said. Under that option, both bridges would have two lanes, but each bridge would carry one-way traffic. Traffic would be controlled on the Hollister side by a traffic signal rather than a roundabout.

In both proposals, the older bridge would be closed for up to a year for repairs once the new bridge is constructed.

Resubmitting the plan for Option A is necessary, Zickefoose said, because the state review committee, in its March meeting, requested that more public information be disseminated before it considered the project.

Cost sharing

MoDOT has whittled about $1 million off the estimated cost of the $12.5 million Option A project, which was proposed at $13.45 million in February. MoDOT would cover half of the bridge cost, with a combination of the cities of Branson and Hollister, and Taney County sharing the other half. Here’s the proposed breakdown:

• MoDOT: $6.2 million

• Taney County: $5.1 million

• Branson: $1 million

• Hollister; $132,000

Zickefoose said the current bridge rehabilitation, at an estimated cost of $5 million, would be financed through MoDOT.

Hollister City Administrator Rick Ziegenfuss expressed concern about MoDOT’s requirement that the three local government entities would have to provide their part of the financing five to 10 weeks before the bid acceptance and opening, projected to be in October 2009.

Ziegenfuss said the city of Branson plans to finance its portion through the Missouri Transportation Finance Corp. If Branson borrowed money elsewhere before its funding would come through, “that interest on the money for (Branson) is huge,” he said.

Hollister’s financing for the bridge would come through existing federal Surface Transportaion Program funds, according to Ziegenfuss.

Zickefoose said MoDOT could probably accept surety from MTFC in advance. “My feeling is we can work something out, but I can’t do it myself,” Zickefoose said.

Western Taney County Commissioner Ron Herschend also offered to put up the county’s $5.1 million in advance of funding from the two cities to meet MoDOT’s requirement.

The Hollister Board of Aldermen voted July 17 to authorize Hollister Mayor David Tate to support and sign the funding agreement with MoDOT, according to Hollister Assistant City Administrator Vonnie Mathiesen.