One-lane bridges to be replaced near Gordonville; may affect train rides

Two bridges across Hubble Creek in Gordonville are scheduled to be replaced as plans begin on a construction project along supplemental Route Z.

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) held a public meeting July 13 at Gordonville Elementary School for residents to learn more about the project.

Chris Crocker, an area engineer for MoDOT, said most residents were pleased with the outcome of the meeting.

"The public at the meeting, the general consensus was they were happy that the bridges needed to be replaced. They're both one-lane bridges; you have to stop at one way and have to yield to traffic," he said.

When construction is complete, they should become two-lane bridges, Crocker continued. The roadway will also be raised 5 to 6 feet to help with sight distance issues and prevent potential flooding.

"Both bridges are close to 90 years old," he said. "They've reached the end of their service life."

Some local landowners, such as Richard Kiehne, agree on the need for new bridges. Kiehne, who attended the July meeting, owns 50 acres to the west of Hubble Creek and south of Route Z. It's property his family has owned for 100 years.

"We need a new bridge, there's no doubt about that," Kiehne said. "We need a two-lane bridge, not a one-lane. There's just too much traffic for a one-lane bridge nowadays. Fifty years ago, it was okay."

Crocker said some residents were disappointed with a rather long detour to get around the construction site, but he said MoDOT personnel can't officially reroute drivers onto county roads. Some nearby property owners, Crocker added, were concerned about accessing their homes during construction, and he said the department is working to find a solution.

Kiehne was one such owner. He said it would be difficult for school buses to make the long detour around the area and that he needed proper access to his home.

He also raised concerns about flooding. If replacement structures aren't built high enough, he said, it could lead to an overflow of water north of Route Z.

An analysis MoDOT officials had conducted on the structures suggested the western bridge could be converted into a box culvert. It would make the slopes more gradual, eliminating the need for guardrails.

"That would help with the farm equipment and vehicles turning off onto County Road 222," Crocker said.

There is one other vehicle project managers would need to take heed of. The St. Louis Iron Mountain & Southern Railway, a train service that offers various themed rides, operates along a track between Jackson and Gordonville, ending just south of Route Z.

Cheryl Huffman, president of the railroad board, said they had been in touch with MoDOT about working around and possibly raising the railroad tracks.

"They understand that it's going to be their responsibility to replace the track," she said.

Huffman said she wasn't sure whether MoDOT will reimburse the board or include the price of railroad work in the bid, but she said a gradual slope would be needed for the train to move.

She added the train's trips would stop before the crossing at Route Z while construction is going on. Full track service will resume once the work is completed.

The window for construction is from spring of 2025 to fall of 2026, though Crocker said this doesn't mean the work would take a year and a half. The reason for the long window is to get more competitive bids interested in the project. With inflation up to 30% in the construction industry, Crocker said a wider work window will draw in more interested parties.

No matter who gets the project or what steps are taken, Kiehne urged communication and cooperation with local property owners.

"There's no easy answers to this," he said. "... Many times the engineers go on these projects, but they don't talk to the landowners until the project is half-done. You don't really understand what's going on without talking to the people who live out here."