The New Champ Clark Bridge Newsletter

March 9, 2018 - Issue #5

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Our first winter is nearly over, and we are excited to report that work continued to progress throughout the cold months, albeit with some adjustments based on weather and river conditions. Much like many other businesses, there is always something to do to keep the overall project moving forward, either in the field or in the office. The project’s design is generally complete, which was an important milestone for the project. "As we wrap up the work on the foundations for the river piers, you will be seeing more visible progress as the bridge rises out of the water. We are confident this new bridge will exceed your expectations," said Michael Massman, design-build coordinator. "We are also very pleased with the community's participation in our updates, online engagement, and invitations to participate in various community events," he continued.

This month's Saturday Public Update will be held, weather permitting, at Riverview Park in Louisiana! Massman Construction will be working on the deck-like structure in the park over the next few weeks and expect it to be the site of the future updates. Due to the Easter holiday, the public update will be held on Saturday, March 24 in Riverview Park. If there is inclement weather, the update will not be rescheduled.

Overlook Being Built

Very soon, area residents will notice some work being done away from the new bridge site. Riverview Park will soon be the site for all the public updates held on Saturdays, as Massman will construct a deck-like overlook that will feature the "work zone" in the background.

dillon and doug running concrete tests

Dillon Barks, Massman construction inspector, and Doug Pettig, Missouri Department of Transportation construction inspector, run concrete tests to ensure quality. This is Dillon's fourth project with Massman and is originally from Rolla, MO. Doug has been an inspector with MoDOT for 27 years and resides in Macon, MO.

Pike County Native Holds On To Old Treasure

Click on photo to watch video interview

As a native from Pike County, Missouri, Gene Baumann has been watching with interest the construction of the Champ Clark Bridge via the web site. “I grew up in Clarksville, so we used the bridge a lot over the years, and I was always fascinated with it and the river,” he said.

Gene’s first job after graduating from University of Missouri – Columbia’s Journalism School in 1960 was advertising manager for the Louisiana Press Journal. “I came across the special edition of the newspaper published on June 8, 1928, commemorating the completion of the Champ Clark Bridge and felt like I had found a treasure,” he continued.

The 52-page tabloid contains a lot of writing, advertisements and some fascinating pictures. “There is a lot of history in this document, such as how it came to be named Champ Clark Bridge, who paid for it, and some of the plights during construction; it’s just really interesting,” he noted.

Although Gene has lived away from Pike County for several years now, he still has a fondness for the old bridge and is developing one for the new bridge. The articles include very detailed accounts of the construction of the old bridge from concept to completion. “It is interesting to read the articles in this newspaper about construction methods and compare them to those of today, nearly 100 years later,” he said.

Gene is willing to share the special edition with anyone interested, yet he encourages those interested to check out the State Historical Society to see if they have a copy.

Saturday CC Bridge Update

Public Invited to the Monthly Progress Meeting

Saturday, March 24

10 a.m.

Riverview Park

Louisiana

Thank you to those who continue to be interested in learning more about the construction and progress of the news bridge! We appreciate your time, interest and questions. This month's update is being moved to the fourth Saturday (March 24) due to the following weekend being the Easter holiday. We are also excited to announce the updates will now be held in Riverview Park. See you there!

Speakers Available

Looking for a speaker for an upcoming event, meeting or for your employees? MoDOT and the Champ Clark Bridge team are available to share with you the latest progress on construction, as well as other transportation improvements being made in the area. Give us a call at 573-248-2502 if you would like to schedule a professional.

Did you know?

The bridge, originally painted silver, was repainted deep green in 1983, and repaired in 1999. In 2005, MoDOT rehabilitated and painted the bridge, replacing the green with gray.

During icy conditions, the crew boat cannot be used, so the construction crew must ride a barge to get to the piers for work each day.

louisiana sign

Next issue, you'll get to meet the inspector who is bringing the construction site to life with cool pictures such as this one.

For all pictures of work, go to MoDOT Northeast District's Flickr site.

The web cam can be found under the Construction tab of this site.