OSAGE COUNTY — Osage County Road and Bridge Foreman Ron Kempker told commissioners last Tuesday his crew has been “busy.”
Kempker had spent much of the previous two days at the site of the …
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OSAGE COUNTY — Osage County Road and Bridge Foreman Ron Kempker told commissioners last Tuesday his crew has been “busy.”
Kempker had spent much of the previous two days at the site of the Pentecostal Bridge accident.
Details of the accident were published in the Aug. 19 edition of the Unterrified Democrat.
The Road and Bridge department helped with traffic control and then provided for the official closing. “We worked late last night,” he said, “and we were back out there early this morning.”
“It’ll take several days to clean that up,” said Osage County Second District Commissioner Larry Kliethermes.
As of press time, no debris had been removed from the Maries River.
MoPERM indicated the county has liability insurance only, and bridges are not covered.
“They said we will have to take the issue up with the trucking company,” said Kliethermes. “I’m reluctant to go down and start getting the materials out of the river because I don’t believe we are liable for the damage. I’m exploring different possibilities.”
Commissioners want an insurance settlement to provide a replacement bridge, but they want financial burdens to be compensated as well.
Kliethermes offered compliments to the Osage County Sheriff’s Office. The bridge was a long-standing landmark in the community, and many citizens wanted to view the disaster. Deputies on the scene were able to provide that opportunity and keep everyone safe.
“It seemed to be going very well,” Kempker agreed. “It’ll probably be a couple more days.”
Kliethermes wants to be sure everything from the approach to the bridge and across the span is cleaned up well.
He and Kempker agree the site is a big liability to the county until another structure might be opened. All the information has been turned over to the county’s insurance company, and “We’re kind of waiting to see what we hear,” said Kliethermes.
There may be more contact yet from DNR and MDC. Kliethermes is getting calls from people interested in helping, and even more are curious about what is going to happen.