Missouri's Route 66 Gasconade River Bridge in Laclede County has been saved | Bridge | lebanonroute66.com

Headlines are quick hits from media outlets from Missouri and around the world. Follow the headline link for the full story. The source of this headline says:

The Route 66 Gasconade River Bridge — an international tourist attraction for Laclede County — has been saved.

The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission approved conveying the century-old bridge and 0.80 acres of adjoining “excess property” to the Route 66 Association of Missouri at [the Sept 7th, 2023] commission meeting in Rolla.

The association’s goal is to rehabilitate the bridge for pedestrian and bicycle use —not for vehicles — although President Rich Dinkela said the first priority is to stabilize the structure.

The approval concludes a nearly nine-year struggle to save the Route 66 landmark from demolition, a struggle that began almost immediately after the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) closed the bridge unexpectedly for safety reasons Dec. 20, 2014, following a routine inspection.

“I’m very happy we’re moving forward,” Dinkela said by phone after the transfer agreement was approved. “I’m very happy we’re going to be saving the bridge.”

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Missouri's Route 66 Gasconade River Bridge in Laclede County has been saved | Bridge | lebanonroute66.com

MoBikeFed comment: The work local advocates and the Missouri Route 66 Association have done to save this historic bridge, in cooperation with MoDOT and other agencies, is nothing short of astonishing.

The bridge is currently unsafe to walk or bicycle on. But shortly it will be stablized and preserved for the long term - no longer in danger of collapse. The bridge can be viewed from all angles via nearby roads and bridges. In time, it will be open to walk and bicycle again as well.

The bridge is on Bicycle Route 66/USBR 66 as well as MoBikeFed's NEW Old Wire Road Exploration Loop - which explores two strands of the Old Wire Road between Springfield and Waynesville in depth.

NEW Old Wire Road Exploration Loop: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44889557

Missouri Bicycle Route 66/USBR 66: https://mobikefed.org/missouri-bicycle-maps-and-routes#route66

Annotated USBR 66 in Missouri: https://ridewithgps.com/collections/8536