Local News – Friday, September 29th, 2023
A very concerned crowd attended the MoDOT Open House held Thursday at the Salem Community Center@The Armory. The original idea by MoDOT was to close the bridge on Highway 19 for 45 days and detour traffic to Route K and KK, but according to two sources from MoDOT, they had never driven the route. They heard from numerous citizens on how those roads could not accept large truck traffic and how dangerous the hills on those roads can be during adverse weather. Those roads are also very uncomfortable for tourists or local citizens pulling campers, horse trailers and 5th wheels. Safety issues were also brought to the attention of MoDOT of the increased time it would take to try to an ambulance to get around the detour. The county commission was also asking MoDOT if they would agree to pay for any damages to other county gravel as well as chip and seal roads citizens will use in lieu of the detour and there was no answer. It was virtually unanimous by those attending that a temporary bridge should be constructed in that Standing Rock bridge area to allow traffic to continue to flow north and south. You can find the same exhibits that were at the open house on the project’s webpage at www.modot.org/missouri-route-19-bridge-replacement-over-standing-rock-creek-dent-county. A comment form is located at the bottom of that page. Additionally, comments may be emailed to CDCR@modot.mo.gov or mailed to Dent County Route 19 Standing Rock Creek Project, c/o MoDOT, 1511 Missouri Boulevard, Jefferson City, MO, 65102. All comments must be received or postmarked by October 13th.
The Dent County Commissioners held their regular meeting Thursday morning at the courthouse. Thom Haines was in attendance and asked the commissioners when they attend the MoDOT meeting to request a larger bridge than the 26-foot bridge that MoDOT is proposing. This would be perfect to allow the bridge to also be used as walking or biking trail which could help with tourism, as well as a safety issue for larger trucks and people pulling their campers and 5th wheels. Haines said MoDOT has already put in a 35-foot replacement bridge a few years back in Dent County on Highway 32 East so this would not be setting a new precedent. The commission were to pass the information on to MoDOT at the meeting. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Wes Mobray said two graders would be virtually rebuilding Dent County Road 5690 while it is dry, plus grading will be done on county road 5600. Mobray said crews would be patching numerous chip and seal roads with the Ultimate Paving Material and picking up trash on county roads where it has been dumped. Mobray stated a crew would be working on truck repairs and he sent Town and Country Bank the VIN numbers for the new graders they are financing through a lease/purchase. One grader is in and the other should arrive in two weeks. District 2 Commissioner Gary Polk said brush cutting was going to be done on Dent County Roads 3220, 3225, 3230 and 3240. He also said a crew would be patching areas of Dent County Roads 2300 and 6150 with asphalt. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said Bonnie Prigge from MRPC and Preston Kramer from MoDOT would be at the commissioner’s meeting on October 16th at 9:30 to discuss the road priorities list. Curley also said she received a letter from the Missouri Department of Public Safety regarding the Meramec Plus Watershed. Dent County’s letters of final determination for the new flood plain mapping were issued on February 1st which stated the 180-day Map Adoptions period for the county. The maps became effective August 1st and now the SEMA NFIP staff will begin working with local community officials to update their ordinances. Commissioner Mobray said the county took phone bids for 1,000 gallons of unleaded gas and the low bid was County Fuels for $3.175 per gallon. The next meeting of the commissioners will be Monday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.