Boonville MKT Bridge ownership finally transferred to Boonville City; plans to renovate & open bridge for bike/ped use

A multi-year effort to save the MKT Bridge at Boonville for bike/ped use as part of the Katy Trail reached an important milestone recently.

The bridge, originally part of the Katy railroad right-of-way, was omitted from the original Katy Trail interim use agreement because of difficult problems of liability.  Union Pacific retained ownership of the bridge. 

MKT Bridge at Boonvbille

Several years ago, the state of Missouri and Union Pacific reached an agreement for UP to sell and remove the bridge--a move that threatened the integrity of the Katy railroad corridor and potentially the underlying legal basis of the Katy Trail itself.

Meanwhile, a group of local Boonville citizens wanted to take over the former railroad bridge and rehabilitate it as a tourist attraction and as  part of the Katy Trail.

Two years ago the big break came as Governor Nixon announced a deal with the railroad to preserve the bridge with the intention to work out an agreement to transfer the bridge to the city.

Now UP and the city of Boonville have finalized that agreement and transferred ownership to the city.  The Boonville Daily News reports:

Even though the bridge was officially saved there was still plenty to do. For the last two years, the coalition, the city of Boonville and Union Pacific have been ironing out an agreement on the bridge.

Gallagher said Boonville City Administrator Irl Tessendorf along with city attorney Megan McGuire have worked tirelessly getting an agreement made and passed. "Irl saw the vision," Gallagher said. Shannon said Tessendorf was able to work with the city council and coalition and come up with a workable agreement for both parties.

McGuire said at the January 7 city council meeting that every lawyer should have the opportunity to work on a project such as this. Shannon said since they went through four city councils, they had to educate them on the bridge each time.

On the January 7 city council meeting a vote of 7-1 secured the ownership of the bridge.

The Columbia Tribune reported the reaction of Paula Shannon, who organized the Save the Katy Bridge Coalition:

Shannon organized the group in 2004 and described the bridge as the "crown jewel" of the Katy Trail and a landmark for the town. "This is a legacy left behind. I think it's important to help that stay part of the community," she said.

After years of work, she said she felt "elated" today to celebrate the city's ownership of the bridge. "It's been a long journey and a very educational journey," she said. "I'm just so happy for the bridge and what it can still give to our community."

The long journey will continue with redevelopment work, which will be done in four phases. The first phase will reopen the south section of the bridge. The complete project will span an estimated eight to 10 years, said Kate Fjell, a Boonville special project coordinator.

Funding also will play a key role in the timeline. Fjell estimates the project will cost $4 million. Bill Bryan, director of Missouri State Parks, has announced the city has been awarded a $430,000 grant for the bridge. The coalition has raised about $400,000, Shannon previously told the Tribune.

The Columbia Tribune reported on the immediate plans to re-open the bridge to pedestrian traffic:

The first phase of work will reopen the south section of the bridge by replacing the approach span and putting a new deck on the bridge up to the lift tower. The lift span is still functional and will be moved to the down position for regular trail uses and raised when necessary, she said.

"What we feel by doing the south end first, we can get people out to get them above the water," Shannon said. "It is so peaceful down there. There just isn't anything but the noise of the water."

The bridge opened to traffic in 1932. When it opened, the lift span was the longest of its kind in the nation. Keeping the lift span operational is an important goal, Shannon said. In surveys of Boonville visitors about the trail and the bridge, "operating the lift seems to be the No. 1 request," she said.

Previously on MoBikeFed News:

• Original document: Notice of Consummation of Abandonment of the Boonville Lift Bridge by Union Pacific railroad, including copies of other relevant documents [1.5 meg PDF file]
• Original documents and commentary: Katy Trail Interim Trail Agreement and Agreement Revisions
• Map of rail connections to the Katy Trail shows threat to trail's legal status
• MoBikeFed's effort to protect the legal status of the Katy Trail
• Abandonment of Boonville Bridge threatens legal status of Katy Trail
• Removal of MKT Bridge at Boonville threatens "margin of safety" for Katy Trail
• All previous MoBikeFed News articles about the MKT Bridge situation