FIRST-- Economic Recovery Project in the U.S. - Superlatives on Waymarking.com

On-site satellite communications and a little extra effort by Missouri's Governor Jay Nixon and the Missouri Highway Commission made it possible for work to begin on this "shovel ready" project a few minutes after the President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in February,2009.

The big Interstate bridge collapse in August,2007 in Minneapolis had spurred an inspection program of bridges throughout the nation. In Missouri, high on the list of bridges that needed to be replaced was the Osage River Bridge near Tuscumbia, Missouri.

Even so,in March 2009 the bridge project drew some national attention when a CNN investigative reporter took a trip to the site and also interviewed the Mayor of St. Louis. Together they questioned the project as a "Bridge to Nowhere."

What they failed to see and report on was the importance of the new bridge to not only connect Miller County communities and their emergency services and school bus routes, but to also provide an alternate route between Fort Leonard Wood and other cities on Interstate 44 to the Lake of the Ozarks and Missouri's capital city, Jefferson City. They didn't address the needs of area farmers and ranchers.

In summary, the bridge work proceeded on without delay on the clear merits of the project. On August 16, 2010 it was a delight to attend the new bridge opening. The old bridge was taken down completely by demolition on August 31,2010 as a part of the contract. The new bridge now stands alone as a bridge to somewhere. It was not gold-plated. It was not named for a Member of Congress.

The Osage River that the Zebulon Pike Expedition saw in 1806 was still very picturesque as I looked down the river from the new bridge. To complete my drive that day I drove over the bridge and the headed back to Jefferson City through St. Elizabeth, Meta, St. Thomas and Wardsville. In the future I'll take a few trout fishing expeditions and trips down to I-44 using Highway 17. It is one of those gems of lesser traveled roads made popular in author William Least-Heat Moon's "Blue Highways."


The crowd that gathered at the bridge and in the park of app. 1000 people of all ages was mostly from the immediate area. They had a huge celebration as they did in 1933 when the cars lined up in a similar formation for the downhill ride to Tuscumbia's Riverside Park. There were new cars at the front of the parade, but there was also a 1927 Chevy and a couple of old Ford cars that also drove to the park. A rank of farm tractors were near the end of the parade of vehicles to the park. The population of Tuscumbia today is 233.

Type of documentation of superlative status: Missouri Department of transportation press releases Location of coordinates: on new bridge deck. Web Site: [Web Link]

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