Port road will be named Monday after engineer Garms

A road just south of Cape Girardeau, leading commerce to and from the river, once was only an element of a future plan.

Then came Irvin Garms, determined to make the port access highway happen, and he did.

On Monday, a section of Route AB, or Nash Road, will be named in honor of Garms. An expert in many fields -- chief among them construction, engineering and business -- Garms served on the Southeast Missouri Port Authority Board for nearly two decades, following a career that spanned more than 70 years building major highways, dams and harbors around the world.

He died in 2011 at age 96.

Garms was internationally recognized for his engineering and construction work, said those who knew him well, and the knowledge he gained from years in the field later turned into major contributions to Southeast Missouri's economy.

The port in 2014 reported a record-setting year for cargo movement, and during the past 20 years, the value of publicly owned infrastructure assets at the port nearly doubled, from $12 million to nearly $23 million. Other investment grew even faster during that period, reaching $63 million earlier this year, officials said in March.

Dan Overbey, the port's executive director, said he believes the port would not have reached those levels of investment had it not been for the vision of Garms, who, during the 1990s, pushed forward a long-term plan to build an access highway to the port.

"It was a very early time for the port -- the harbor had been built, and main dock, but not much else," Overbey said. "There was no electric, no sewers, paved roads or railroad. Then Irvin was there with this tremendous amount of expertise. I've always said if he had been a consultant, we wouldn't have been able to afford him."

Only one small road going through Scott City made the port accessible to the interstate.

Ronald Garms, Irvin Garms' son, said his father was always one to look furthest in the future when it came to infrastructure needs.

To help build Route AB, the elder Garms talked the owner of a quarry near the port into donating the rock needed to build the highway, and he designed the highway's layout. He also convinced the state an overpass was necessary to carry the road over a railroad crossing and fixed the government-set design standards for the road's height, protecting it from future floods.

Overbey said by the time Garms had finished his efforts toward building the road, nearly all that was left was for the state to come in and lay pavement.

"His role in putting this together is a classic example of his leadership," Ronald Garms said. "He took off suits and put on boots and helped build this highway."

Ronald Garms said despite his father's retirement status when he left Potashnick Construction Inc. in 1985, he continued to work internationally as a consultant on engineering projects for many more years, with an emphasis on local community service.

Ronald Garms described his father as a "renowned" businessman and contractor who had his signature on projects around the world.

Just a few of those projects included Dillon and Oroville dams, two major projects in the United States; marine construction that included adjustments to American harbors and the creation of the harbor for Dubai in the United Arab Emirates; and highways built in multiple American and overseas locations.

"He was known lots of places and built lots of things for lots of people, but this is the one in his hometown," Ronald Garms said, referring to the port access highway.

Irvin Garms was born near Rolla, Missouri, and moved to Cape Girardeau while working for the locally based Potashnick company.

In addition to the port board, Irvin Garms' local contributions included serving as the first president of the Industrial Development Authority of Cape Girardeau County.

Despite his many years on the board for the port authority, Overbey said Irvin Garms was content to serve only on the construction committee and never actively sought a leadership role.

"We were fortunate to have him, and he enjoyed it," Overbey said.

In 2009, Irvin Garms was named an honorary alumnus by Washington University in St. Louis and received an honorary doctor of engineering degree from the University of Missouri through Missouri University of Science and Technology. He also led several state and national-level transportation contracting industry boards for many years.

Ronald Garms said the highway being named after his father is "one, an honor for his past services, and two, a challenge, because it reminds people there are individuals behind these projects."

"They don't just happen," Ronald Garms said. "Next time, it will need to be somebody else's name on a project. They will need to step up and do it."

Rice "Pete" Burns, chairman of the port authority board, John M. Thompson, past board chairman, state Rep. Kathy Swan and Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder will make remarks at the highway memorial dedication ceremony, set for 11:30 a.m. Monday at the port authority office.

Swan served as the sponsor of legislation to have the highway dedicated in Garms' name.

eragan@semissourian.com

388-3632

Pertinent address:

10 Bill Bess Drive, Scott City, MO