The Long Creek Bridge project is an effort by many | Local News

The mission’s vision to replace the bridge on Route 86 that crosses the Long Creek arm of Table Rock Lake began in 2019. The original Long Creek Bridge was built in 1956 and carries an average of 8,611 vehicles per day. The existing bridge had to be replaced due to deterioration of the truss support system. According to MoDOT, the estimated total cost of the project is $66.5 million.

The dedication included a slideshow presentation of the bridge’s construction process, from the initial planning phase to near-final completion. Hollister City Manager Rick Zeigenfuss said the dedication was held at the OTC Table Rock Campus because the project there was still in its infancy.

“The first public hearing on the bridge took place in this room six years ago,” Ziegenfuss said. “The bridge started here and we think it was appropriate to dedicate it here.”

During the slideshow presentation, Ziegenfuss provided a brief history of the current Long Creek Bridge and its construction, as well as photos of the construction of the new bridge. Ziegenfuss and Hollister Assistant City Manager Denise Olmstead visited the site the morning of the dedication to take updated photos of the process. During the visit Ziegenfuß met briefly with the project manager and the deputy manager.

“I said this is not just a transportation project, but an employment project,” Ziegenfuss said. “The superintendent said, ‘It’s an employment project, and guess what? “We hire locally.” American Bridge was great at safely delivering a quality project ahead of schedule. I credit American Bridge with the idea that we were able to keep the (existing) bridge open.”

The construction of the new bridge is expected to be completed soon.