By Wally Kennedy

wkennedy@joplinglobe.com

POWELL, Mo. — The historic bridge at Powell will be preserved where it is.

“They are letting us have the bridge,” said Virginia Hall, president of the Powell Historical Preservation Society. “The way I understand it, we are the first private organization in Missouri to accomplish this. Other organizations have saved bridges, but not a private one like we are.”

Hall said the preservation group learned earlier this month that the Federal Highway Administration, the historical bridge and cultural services arm of the Missouri Department of Transportation, and the Missouri State Preservation Office had given their approvals for the conversion of the bridge to a pedestrian walk bridge.

“We submitted a proposal at the last minute to them. All three said they were really impressed with our proposal,” Hall said. “This is a very old bridge and very well-loved.”

The one-lane, iron-clad trestle bridge spans Big Sugar Creek on Cowan Ridge Road. The bridge likely was built sometime between 1912 and 1915.

Before the preservation group submitted its proposal, it launched a petition drive late last year in an effort to persuade the McDonald County Commission to preserve the bridge. More than 1,200 signatures were submitted. Because so many residents were concerned, the commission decided to redesign the new bridge at the site and to preserve the old bridge.

A new bridge is to be constructed next year a slight distance downstream from the historic bridge.

Sam Gaskill, Eastern District county commissioner, said no right of way has been acquired yet for the new two-lane bridge, which will cost about $800,000 to construct.

“There was a lot of local nostalgic interest in that bridge,” he said. “The preservation group mustered a tremendous effort to save it. We gave them enough time to develop a plan to save it.”

Gaskill said the commission early on favored the idea of preserving the bridge, but it had concerns about the cost of maintenance and liability. The span was scheduled to be demolished because of its deteriorating condition.

“But this group can save it and maintain it without county expense,” Gaskill said.

Title to the bridge will be transferred to the Powell Historical Preservation Society after the new bridge is built, said Beverly Prentice, a member of the preservation group who wrote the proposal that was submitted to the Federal Highway Administration.

“After they turn it over to us, we will do some work on it then,” Hall said. “We’ll put new planks down that need to be replaced. We’ll also make it safe for small children.”