JEFFERSON CITY – The Missouri Department of Transportation is looking for a new home for the historic Salt Creek and Katy Trail Bridge on U.S. Route 40 in Howard County.
The bridge, which was built in 1941, will be replaced with a new and wider bridge in 2022. The bridge is considered historic because it is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places as an excellent example of a standard plate girder design adapted to fit the local topography with a curved design.
Because of that eligibility, federal law requires any state proposing demolition of a historic bridge to first make it available for donation to a state, locality or responsible private entity. The bridge can be obtained by government entities, historical or civic groups, or private citizens, free of charge. The cost to remove the bridge or any of its parts falls on the party obtaining the bridge.
"We encourage any individual or organization who may be interested in taking all or part of the Salt Creek and Katy Trail Bridge to submit a proposal for reuse," said Karen Daniels, Senior Historic Preservation Specialist for MoDOT.
Proposals are due by March 16, 2020. Details about the bridge, as well as information about reusing a bridge or making a reuse proposal, can be found on MoDOT's Free Bridges website at modot.org/freebridges.
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