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Group named to begin quest for ferry service

Editor
Posted 2/15/08

Glasgow businessman Jason Monnig has been named to head a special task force to lay the ground work for securing ferry service during closure of the Missouri River Highway 240 bridge later this year. …

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Group named to begin quest for ferry service

Posted
Editor
Glasgow businessman Jason Monnig has been named to head a special task force to lay the ground work for securing ferry service during closure of the Missouri River Highway 240 bridge later this year.

The group met for the first time Thursday evening.

As reported in Wednesday's Fayette Advertiser, the Glasgow City Council on Monday evening voted unanimously to form such a group after being urged to do so by Dan Niec, MoDOT District 2 Engineer, MoDOT Project Director Brian Haeffner and others.

The action came at the culmination of a 90-minute public hearing attended by more than 50 persons at the Glasgow school cafeteria.

Many of those on hand related in detail the extreme degree of hardship that would be involved should it be necessary to detour 60 miles or more each way to reach jobs on the opposite side of the river.

While use of the railway bridge was seen as one option, it was the clear consensus of those present that ferry service would be the only truly viable means of providing alternate transportation during the 12 to 15 months the bridge will be closed.

Rail service could carry passengers, but not cars, trucks and farm vehicles.

Closure of the 83-year-old bridge is expected sometime early this summer. About 2,000 cars a day now use the bridge.
The Missouri River bridge at Miami also will be closed at about the same time and it is anticipated that any ferry service will be undertaken jointly in concert with that project.

The refurbishment work at both Glasgow and Miami will involve using the existing bridge pylons, but with an entirely new and wider roadbed having no weight or overhead clearance restrictions.

MoDOT's Niec repeatedly called on those present Monday to 'take the initiative' to formulate a local plan to contract for ferry service, noting that the lowest bid received (and accepted) was some $1 million beyond what originally was budgeted by MoDOT.

The cost for the bridge project will be about $14.3 million.
While no specifics were outlined, Niec and influential State Sen. Bill Stouffer strongly hinted that some kind of state funding might be made available for ferry service to supplement income from tolls.

'The main thing is to figure out the sense of community and then find the money,' Stouffer said.

Following the meeting Monday, Glasgow Alderman Mike Gebhardt, who had been designated by the council to organize the committee, wasted no time in doing so.

In addition to Monnig, others on the committee are included in the accompanying list (see box).

Monnig told the Democrat-Leader that others will be enlisted to help as needed. Gebhardt will not be part of the group per se, but will work in an advisory capacity.

The committee met for the first time Thursday evening. No specific details were released; however, Monnig said described the initial gathering as 'productive,' noting that a specific plan of action is being formulated.

'I have spent a great deal of time talking with MoDOT officials about solutions to this challenge,' Stouffer writes in his most recent newsletter. 'We simply cannot close the Missouri River bridge at Glasgow without an alternate route in place before the orange barrels are put up. This is my number one priority right now.

'It has become clear to me that your number one solution to this is a ferry. Our hope is this will provide transportation for grain trucks in addition to regular cars and trucks,' Stouffer noted.

Stouffer also encourages constituents to sign an on-line petition at his website, www.senate.mo.gov/stouffer and then click on Glasgow Project Link. Residents also are signing petitions at various locations.

Ninth District State Rep. Paul Quinn is among those supporting the effort. 'Jason Monnig and the task-force will work with MoDOT district engineers to make the barge (ferry) a reality,' he said in a news release.

At Monday's meeting, Howard County Sheriff Charles Polson was also among those emphasizing the need for some form of alternate transportation across the river for law enforcement and emergency response.

Having a way to get across the river is particularly vital when there are calls for mutual aid, he noted.

'James H. Steele

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