Officials break ground for Chadwick Flyer Trail bridge

Construction on a key multimillion-dollar component of an ongoing greenway trail project between Springfield and Ozark is underway following a groundbreaking ceremony yesterday in Ozark.

Officials from the city of Ozark, Ozarks Transportation Organization and Ozark Greenways Inc., were among those who broke ground for a pedestrian bridge at the event, which was held near the 39-mile marker of Highway 65 and next to the distribution center of electronics company Creative Audio, 2151 Lakeland Drive. The Highway 65 overpass project is part of the Chadwick Flyer Trail, a roughly 12-mile regional trail designed for cyclists, joggers and walkers.

The steel span bridge will cost roughly $5.4 million, said Jeremy Parsons, city of Ozark Public Works director. Radmacher Brothers Excavating Co. Inc. is general contractor with engineering work from Crawford, Murphy & Tilly Inc. While Parsons originally thought work could begin by as early as February, a few months delay isn’t changing the completion target, he said, projecting a spring 2026 finish.

The trail spans roughly 12 miles of the original Chadwick Flyer rail line that covered almost 17 miles from National Avenue near downtown Springfield to Ozark’s Finley River Trail. In development since 2019, the project is a collaborative effort between the city of Ozark, OTO and Ozark Greenways. A cost study completed last year for part of the greenway trail project pushed the total price tag estimate to over $30 million.

“The segment today will complete 5.5 miles of the 12-mile trail. So, we’re just almost at the halfway point with this project,” said Sara Fields, OTO executive director, at the groundbreaking.

Parsons said the event represents “a culmination of so much work, so much effort and so many people.”

“This is not a city of Ozark thing. This is a regional thing, and I want you all to know that it has taken so many people to get this win and to help our entire region,” he said. “It’s an ecotourism and an economic development opportunity for this community.”

Nearly $1.2 million for the project was provided to the city of Ozark from American Rescue Plan Act funds via the Missouri Department of Economic Development as part of the state’s Local Tourism Asset Development program, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting. Kim Froemsdorf, director of federal initiatives with the DED, was among those in attendance at the groundbreaking. 

“It’s a remarkable investment in infrastructure, connectivity and community,” she said. “The project represents more than just a path or a bridge. It’s a symbol of your community’s commitment to revitalization, quality of life and smart future focused growth.”

Froemsdorf said when the DED received the state’s ARPA money, the trail’s pedestrian bridge was the kind of project the department wanted to support – one that creates lasting value for a community and strengthens its foundations.

“The Chadwick Flyer project exemplifies how infrastructure can bring people together and contribute to thriving downtowns, healthier lifestyles and stronger local economies,” she said.

The project also received funding from OTO, the city of Ozark, Christian County and Ozark Greenways, according to past reporting.

An expanded version of this article is scheduled to be published in Springfield Business Journal’s July 28 print edition.