"Save the Katy Bridge at Boonville" Committee to raise $1 million

Although the prospects of success remain uncertain at best, a Boonville group is launching a $1 million fundraising drive Saturday to try to restore an old Missouri River railroad bridge as part of the Katy Trail State Park.

The Save the Katy Bridge Coalition has no guarantee the bridge will be saved from demolition, even if it reaches its fundraising goal.

In fact, members have yet to discuss their plans with either the Department of Natural Resources or Union Pacific Railroad Co., which intends to remove the bridge so its steel can be used for a new bridge east of the capital.

But the coalition hopes a little cash can help change people's minds.

''We want to bring in those pledges and show the grass-roots momentum that is there,'' said Boonville resident Paula Shannon, a spokeswoman for the bridge group, ''and hopefully get folks' attention about how serious we are about doing this.''

The former Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad bridge, now owned by Union Pacific, already is the subject of a legal battle between Democratic Attorney General Jay Nixon and Republican Gov. Matt Blunt's administration.