Bridge commission awaiting official county action on park
Published 12:00 am Friday, August 13, 2004
[8/12/04]Commissioners who oversee the U.S. 80 Mississippi River Bridge on Wednesday discussed a continued study of the proposed park, but delayed action until hearing officially from Warren County supervisors.
The county board is expected to vote next week to authorize the bridge commission to study the feasibility of a park and biking trail on the bridge. Although supervisors have tentatively agreed to grant that authority, Bridge Chairman Max Reed suggested the commission wait until its next meeting to act, after the next supervisors’ meeting.
“I’ve been on this commission nine years, and another month won’t hurt,” Reed said.
The commissioners have asked permission to study the feasibility of converting the Mississippi side of the county-owned bridge into a park for pedestrians and cyclists. The 74-year-old span has been closed to vehicular traffic since 1998 and the commission is firm on the point it is outmoded and unsafe for vehicular use.
A feasibility study and plan in 1999 for the park was scrapped after supervisors voted to open the bridge for two-way traffic. Since, commissioners have said reopening the bridge isn’t practical because of safety and liability concerns.
Some changes will have to be made in the 5-year-old plans drawn up by local engineers with AMBM, including funding. In 1999, the county had received a federal grant that would have paid for the park conversion, but that money is no longer available.
The commission’s primary source of funding is per-car tolls charged to Kansas City Southern Railway for use of the bridge, but the 999-year lease with the railroad company stipulates that those funds are for maintenance of the bridge only.
Commission members are looking instead at using funds generated from lease agreements for utilities that are run across the bridge. Bridge Superintendent Herman Smith calculated that since 1980 the commission has received about $1.8 million from utility leases.
“I don’t see a reason in the world why we can’t use the money from the utility rentals to pay for the park and the railroad can’t say anything about it,” Reed said.
The 1999 estimated cost of the park was $2.6 million for the full length of the bridge. It was also estimated that it would cost about $80,000 per year to maintain.
KCS officials previously voiced opposition to the park plan citing potential liability to the railroad if pedestrians were on the roadway adjacent to the track. The railroad company has also objected to the commission spending about $2 million repairing the roadbed where chunks of concrete are falling from under the bridge since its tolls are strictly for rail-related maintenance.By Mark J. Armstrong
marmstrong@vicksburgpost.com
[8/12/04]Commissioners who oversee the U.S. 80 Mississippi River Bridge on Wednesday discussed a continued study of the proposed park, but delayed action until hearing officially from Warren County supervisors.
The county board is expected to vote next week to authorize the bridge commission to study the feasibility of a park and biking trail on the bridge. Although supervisors have tentatively agreed to grant that authority, Bridge Chairman Max Reed suggested the commission wait until its next meeting to act, after the next supervisors’ meeting.
“I’ve been on this commission nine years, and another month won’t hurt,” Reed said.
The commissioners have asked permission to study the feasibility of converting the Mississippi side of the county-owned bridge into a park for pedestrians and cyclists. The 74-year-old span has been closed to vehicular traffic since 1998 and the commission is firm on the point it is outmoded and unsafe for vehicular use.
A feasibility study and plan in 1999 for the park was scrapped after supervisors voted to open the bridge for two-way traffic. Since, commissioners have said reopening the bridge isn’t practical because of safety and liability concerns.
Some changes will have to be made in the 5-year-old plans drawn up by local engineers with AMBM, including funding. In 1999, the county had received a federal grant that would have paid for the park conversion, but that money is no longer available.
The commission’s primary source of funding is per-car tolls charged to Kansas City Southern Railway for use of the bridge, but the 999-year lease with the railroad company stipulates that those funds are for maintenance of the bridge only.
Commission members are looking instead at using funds generated from lease agreements for utilities that are run across the bridge. Bridge Superintendent Herman Smith calculated that since 1980 the commission has received about $1.8 million from utility leases.
“I don’t see a reason in the world why we can’t use the money from the utility rentals to pay for the park and the railroad can’t say anything about it,” Reed said.
The 1999 estimated cost of the park was $2.6 million for the full length of the bridge. It was also estimated that it would cost about $80,000 per year to maintain.
KCS officials previously voiced opposition to the park plan citing potential liability to the railroad if pedestrians were on the roadway adjacent to the track. The railroad company has also objected to the commission spending about $2 million repairing the roadbed where chunks of concrete are falling from under the bridge since its tolls are strictly for rail-related maintenance.