HERMANN — Gasconade County’s consulting engineer said the effort to construct a new bridge on Rohlfing Road is making progress with two of the primary studies already completed.

“We’re getting close” to beginning the right-of-way acquisition portion of the project, said Paul Winkelmann of Howe Engineering. He noted that the critical studies on environmental impact and endangered species have been completed — two efforts that often can take a substantial amount of time. Having those studies finished means the county can now pursue another critical piece of the bridge-building puzzle.

“Now we can go for a (U.S. Army) Corps of Engineers permit,” Winkelmann said during an update given last week to the County Commission.

The engineer offered a preliminary guess on the cost of the new span of about $1.2 million, but a more firm estimate can be given after he digs into the project in detail, he said. A more definite picture on what the project could cost might be available by the end of the year or early next year, he said.

As for on-site activity, it’s likely to take some time, Winkelmann said, pointing to the preliminary schedule set out by the Missouri Department of Transportation. He said MODOT is looking to have bids requested in June, a contract signed in July and construction starting in August.

The project will be an 80-20 effort, meaning the county will be responsible for 20 percent of the total cost. The local share might include in-kind work as well as cash. The county will shoulder the entire cost of the bridge with reimbursement coming from the state after the job is done.

Meanwhile, the possibility of a new bridge over the Gasconade River at Fredericksburg again surfaced in the county administrator’s discussion with the engineer. During last year’s meeting of the Commission, as regional planners and MoDOT Regional Engineer Preston Kramer sought to prepare the latest version of the county’s Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP), county officials asked about a bridge. At that time, county officials heard an encouraging assessment from Kramer, who said a good case might be made to state transportation by arguing that a new bridge would enable better delivery of fire protection and emergency medical services to the area on the west side of the river.

The Commission Thursday morning asked if a new bridge might qualify for state funding through the Bridge Replacement Off-system (BRO) Program. “I’ll check into it,” Winkelmann said.

In other matters at last week’s session, county officials are wanting more instruction and information on the operation of the elevator that’s now in service. County personnel are hoping for an in-person meeting with an Otis Elevator representative in order to become more familiar with the workings of the lift.

And, as was noted, all the paperwork regarding the elevator is not yet in hand.

“We still haven’t got our certificate from (Missouri Department of) Public Safet, have we?” asked Presiding Commissioner Tim Schulte, R-Hermann.

“No,” replied County Clerk Lesa Lietzow.

County government seminar set Dec. 11

A seminar for county government elected officials is scheduled Dec. 11 to allow outside legal counsel and county government expert Ivan Schraeder to provide a 3-hour crash course on the various aspects of county governance.

County Treasurer Mike Feagan reported the largest monthly check yet received by the county regarding the Motor Fuel Tax. The September amount was $79,164 — $3,500 more than was received in August and clearly the largest amount since Feagan began tracking the tax in 2019.

The Motor Fuel Tax this year has produced $631,645, compared to the 2023 total amount of $818,611.

“Gas is getting cheaper and people are buying more,” said Feagan, whose report shows the county receiving $70,000 or more for the fifth consecutive month.

At the rate of revenue seen in those five months, the tax should surpass the total received last year.