Bridges in Scott County in major need of repairs, presiding commissioner says

BENTON — Many bridges in Scott County are either condemned or in an unsafe condition, and Scott County Presiding Commissioner Danny Tetley emphasized his concerns and the importance of repairing the bridges.

Tetley said one of the county's currently condemned bridges, located off County Road 468, was built in 1962. Tetley said the bridge, along with other old bridges in the county, has deteriorated over time.

According to Tetley, the bridge has a sufficiency rating of 41%, indicating it is not in good shape.

"Full sufficiency would be 100%, which means the bridge is basically completely safe and brand new," Tetley said. "So, this bridge is starting to deteriorate.

Tetley continued: "I wouldn't want my grandchildren on a school bus crossing bridges with that kind of rating," Tetley said. "That bridge had an estimated cost of replacing it at $327,000."

Tetley described what makes the bridge dangerous to use.

"The structural part of it, the underneath parts of the bridge, is rotting out, making it unsafe to drive across the bridge," he said.

According to Tetley, there are several more bridges in the county, including one in Sikeston, that are in poor shape.

"One of the bridges that's in bad shape has sufficiency rating as low as 37.8%," Tetley said.

Some may not consider bridge repairs to be necessary, but Tetley explained they are critical.

"The citizens just have to trust the engineers that know what they are looking for," Tetley said. "The Missouri Department of Transportation engineers and our engineers get under these bridges and inspect them up close."

According to Tetley, the bridges' poor condition and condemnation affects many people.

"It affects all the farmers, and all the school bus drivers that have to drive on these county roads," Tetley said.

According to Mark Deane, a farmer in Scott County, the bridge on County Road 468 provides a direct connection between Highway 452 and U.S. 61.

Deane said there are seven landowners whose properties "bund" up to the road where the bridge has been shut off from one end and several farmers are involved with those landowners' ground.

Deane also noted the bridge has been out for about a year and a half.

"The property that we farm is just across that bridge, and if we can't cross that bridge to get to the ground we farm, it's 8 miles back around," Deane said. "We have to go three different directions — north, east, south — and then back west to get to that very point. Eight miles with a big piece of farmer machinery, or with a tractor or truck, throws us having to get on 61 highway rather than just travel the backroads with it."

Tetley said the Scott County Commission would like to have the funds to repair the bridges, but they first need to pass the half-cent law enforcement sales tax that voters will decide during the Tuesday, April 2, election.

In January, the Scott County Commission — Tetley, First District Commissioner Terry Cole and Second District Commissioner Donnie Kiefer — decided to place sales tax on the upcoming April ballot. If voters approve the tax, it will help fund all county departments by freeing up money in the county's general revenue fund, Tetley said.

Tetley said the sheriff currently receives $4 million from the county's general revenue for his department's budget. By passing the law enforcement tax April 2, the sheriff will receive $2.5 million, allowing the county to take $1.5 million from general revenue and free up more funds to repair things such as the courthouse, which is also in poor condition, as well as the bridges in the county that are in bad condition.

"I also want to make sure that people understand that the half-cent sales tax should generate roughly $2.5 million," Tetley said. "That $2.5 million would go directly to the Scott County Sheriff's Department, which in return would save the county $2.5 million dollars that we would not have to give the sheriff's department."

Tetley also explained how, out of that $2.5 million savings, they would give an additional 10% to the sheriff's office and another 10% would be distributed proportionately to all the cities and towns in Scott County that have law-enforcement entities.

"The additional $2 million that we save would then be used for courthouse upkeep and repairs, road and bridge repairs and whatever other needs the county has," Tetley said. "Plus, a percentage of it would also go into a reserve account as a rainy-day fund."