Camden County Green's Mill Bridge to be preserved and repurposed

JEFFERSON CITY, MO – In 2020, a project led by the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) built a new bridge on Camden County Route J, bypassing the old, self-anchored suspension bridge over the Little Niangua Arm of the Lake of the Ozarks.

Locally known as the Green’s Mill Bridge, the old bridge was built in 1933 and is one of only four self-anchored suspension bridges in America. This rare bridge type makes it eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. When MoDOT was planning the construction of a new bridge, the old bridge was advertised for reuse by any agency or group willing to maintain the bridge and the features that give it historic significance and assume all future legal and financial responsibility.

The process to transfer ownership, preserve and repurpose a historic bridge is not a quick one. In 2018, a local group of concerned citizens came together and established the Green’s Mill Historic Bridge, Inc. When the bridge became available for reuse, the group submitted a proposal and worked closely with MoDOT’s Historic Preservation division and the new bridge’s project manager over several years on a plan to ensure a smooth transfer of ownership. Through a program set up by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the funds that would normally be used to demolish the bridge will instead be used to assist the group with preservation, giving renewed life to the 90-year-old bridge.

The group’s stated mission on their website greensmillhistoricalbridge.com is “to provide the preservation and the beautification of the Green’s Mill Historical Bridge and its environment so that the public may enjoy the benefits of an historic pedestrian bridge for education, recreation, exercise, access to river views, community and cultural for future generations.” With the ownership transfer completion this month, the group is moving forward with plans to offer the bridge as a venue for weddings, reunions and other events.

For information about MoDOT’s Historic Preservation programs, including other bridges that may be available within the state, visit modot.org/historic-preservation.

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Districts Involved
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