Strange looking equipment located at Hwy 160 and Y!

 

 

Forsyth MO. – After one of the more observant Taney County residents noticed device attached to a pole at the intersection of Y and Hwy 160 in Forsyth. Curious about it myself, I made an effort to contact a city official to see what was what.

Matt Wheeler, of the Taney County Sheriff's police, informed me that the ‘antenna’ belonged to MoDot and that they were doing a study of road traffic.

It was good to know that these good folks are on the job!

Bull Shoals Roundabout drive bys! Sept 19, 2018!

Update: September 19, 2018 - It looked as though both lanes on the new bridge were open as construction now seemed to be focusing on the Roundabout end.

September 13 update video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGTbw0GwEHg&feature=youtu.be

August 14, 2018

One-Lane Traffic ?Round the Clock

At Route 76/Bull Shoals Bridge Further Delayed until Aug. 20

Forsyth Area, Taney County – Drivers can expect one-lane traffic with temporary traffic signals regulating traffic on Route 76 at the Bull Shoals Lake bridge project east of Forsyth starting Monday, August 20, the Missouri Department of Transportation said. The move to the temporary traffic pattern during this phase of the bridge project has been further delayed due to weather. Originally, the plan called for Route 76 to be closed for up to two weeks to connect the new bridge into the existing highway. However, after hearing strong concerns from the community about the closing of the Route 76, MoDOT committed to work with its project contractor to minimize the impacts to the traveling public. MoDOT and the contractor developed an approach to keep traffic flowing during this part of the project. It’s expected the one-lane traffic and temporary traffic signals will remain in place for up to two weeks. Mid-way through the process of building the new pavement connection, Route 76 traffic will move to the new bridge. However, one-lane traffic and the temporary traffic signals will remain in place until all the connecting pavement is complete. Drivers can expect delays on Route 76 during this phase of the project. They are urged to allow plenty of extra travel time and expect backups on Route 76 approaching the bridge. During the work, law enforcement officers will assist with traffic control during busy traffic times. Contractor crews along with law enforcement will assist first responders through the work zone during emergencies.

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Bull Shoals Bridge video cam ...gone!

Forsyth MO. I get it. Things sometimes break. But, then they can get repaired, right? That, apparently, has not been the case with the Ox Blue video cam that was recording time lapse photography at the Bull Shoals Bridge Project just east of town. It broke on July the 12th and was still non functional on July the 23rd. And while I was uncertain as to how many citizens really paid any attention to the site - see https://app.oxblue.com/open/modot/cams, I thought it would be neat to have a visual record of the new bridge construction available for future generations.

Update: July 23, 2018 - Apparently MODOT removed the camera as they felt that the project was 'completed'. This in the face of the asphalt not yet being laid, nor the roundabout being completed.... 

Following is a statement from a MODOT spokesperson: 
 

'The camera at the Bull Shoals bridge project has been removed. The camera was in the way of the new roundabout being built at Route 160/76 at the north end of the new bridge. It will not be reinstalled on the project.' 

So, it would have been nice to have had a 'video eye' on that intersection during a phase of construction when traffic was to be the most impacted....

Bull Shoals bridge roaundabout set to start!

Forsyth MO. - I had a conversation on July 10 concerning the Bull Shoals bridge project and learned from MODOT officials that work on the bridge itself was mostly complete and that there were getting ready to begin work on the roundabout sometime around August first. They also informed me that work on laying asphalting the roadway connecting the new bridge would also begin in short order.

Left unanswered was what traffic problems were anticipated and I was told that these would be addressed in an upcoming press release from MODOT in a few days.

Following was the most recent press release from MODOT:

Southwest District Office 417.895.7600

July 03, 2018 02:45 PM

Construction Starts on New Roundabout

At Route 160/76 Intersection near Forsyth

Forsyth area, Taney County – Work to build a roundabout at the intersection of Route 160 and Route 76 east of Forsyth is underway, as the same contractor continues work on the new Route 76 bridge over Bull Shoals Lake, which is adjacent to the roundabout project, the Missouri Department of Transportation said.

During the roundabout project, drivers can expect one-lane traffic, traffic shifts and increased construction at the intersection. Contractor crews will avoid disruptions during morning and afternoon rush hour as much as possible.

The construction on the roundabout will take place within the same work zone as the new Route 76 bridge over Bull Shoals Lake. Contractor crews are making good progress on the bridge and are now focusing on building the road approaching the new structure.

Drivers are urged to use caution in the area and expect delays at times.

The prime contractor on the roundabout project is Lehman Construction of California, Mo.

The total project cost for the roundabout project is $1.4 million.

The project is a partnership between MoDOT and Taney County.

The project is scheduled for completion by November 1, 2018.

Three way woes to come to an end in November!

Forsyth MO. - After what might seem a very long time for citizens who routinely cross the Bull Shoals bridge just to the south of Forsyth Missouri, it looks as though the bridge construction will be wrapping up fairly soon. According to a communique from MODOT Project Manager, Johnny Teegardin, 'The completion date for both the roundabout and the bridge projects are November 1, 2018.

So, by late this coming Fall, things should be back to 'normal' for commuter traffic. That will be good news for Peggy's Park Place Market that has seen a small drop off in business due to all the construction. On a promising note, I also understand from Jay Kirschenmann, a representative of the Real Estate company that represented the Shadowrock Hotel, that they had 'Finally sold the Shadow Rock Lodge in Forsyth Missouri after many showings during the past year.' He went on to state that they were, 'Talking to the new owners about starting a Facebook page so that people can follow the progress of bringing it back to life. Restaurant, lounge, and 21 rooms upstairs!' That would be great news for anyone who works or does business in or around the Park area!

Now, if the spring of 2019 will just behave herself and we don't get excessive rainfall, perhaps we will see a full Park with lots of happy tourists and locals!

Bridge construction side benefits?

Forsyth MO. – The long awaited building of a new bridge that will span Bull Shoals has finally begun. And, while some people were already complaining, it came to me that there might be some side benefits to the businesses in and around Forsyth!

While enjoying a libation at Charlie's Steak Ribs and Ale near Y Highway, I overheard one of the servers stating that their lunch time crowd had swelled a bit due to a number of bridge workers who showed up with empty stomachs and bulging wallets. It suddenly occurred to me that the nearly year long project would see a goodly number of workers from MODOT and Lehman Construction. I also guessed that some of them would be staying in town for varying periods of time, and so, might help bolster the income of many businesses by their presence...

I've formally requested that Lehman Construction set up a live camera feed on the Internet so that commuters and emergency personnel could be aware of traffic conditions on the bridge while construction is underway!