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 project congestion? What congestion?

Forsyth MO. – With a number of weeks of construction now under its belt, the MODOT Bull Shoals Bridge project has proven to be something of a yawner as far as traffic delays have gone. As a matter of fact, I haven't even heard mention of it from the men I women who I know cross the bridge there on a daily commute. Now does that mean everything will run smoothly at all times? Surely not. However, it does appear as if the engineers do know what they are doing when it comes to scheduling trucks and equipment to lessen traffic impacts as much as possible.

I stopped by the site on Sunday, October the 8^th, as I wanted to get a few pics of the progress made thus far. Really, I was amazed to see just how rapid the progress had been! Already, there was sub structure work started on the water itself, along with work that had begun on the River Run side! It'll be interesting to see how far they come by the time of my next visit towards the end of the month!

Having never obtained my GED, I have little knowledge about much of anything. However, I do have an eye for color and odd shapes. And while I like to spend most of my time looking for such at the local grocery store, I do occasionally stumble  upon something that I have no clue as to its function or where exactly it will be inserted into the bridge framework. Whatever it is, it is 'female' and was therefore of interest...

Update: The OxBlue construction time lapse camera is up and running! Interested parties will be able to access it here.

Bull Shoals bridge project may get webcam!

I received a note from the head engineer of the Bull Shoals bride project who informed me that they were 'looking at getting an Ox Blue construction webcam' if one was available. These are Internet accessible cameras that can allow the public to view to see what the traffic and overall construction progress looks like. Very cool if that were to happen.

He also wanted to reiterate that they were not anticipating back-ups beyond the normal morning and afternoon commutes since the contractor cannot 'close the road during peak hours'. He stated that it is also the 'contractor’s intent is to conduct flagging operations during non-peak hours while they pour the intermediate bents in the lake'.

Finally, he reiterated that 'the only road closure intended for the project will be the time it is needed to make the final tie-ins which can take up to 2 weeks'. But, that they intend to do everything they can ahead of time to greatly reduce this inconvenience. 

I was very happy to hear from them and to know that MODOT and Lehman Construction are doing the absolute best they can to resolve public concerns during the construction phase of a multi million dollar effort that is sure to cause some problems with commuters and emergency personnel even as the engineering experts will be striving to mitigate the pain. www.taneyweather.com

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!

Bull Shoals Bridge Project September 11, 2017

Forsyth MO. – I thought to go down and see what was going on with the Bull Shoals Bridge project, a 10.4 million dollar effort to replace another older bridge structure that had been constructed back in 1951.

The water level in Bull Shoals had dropped to 667.66 feet msl (mean sea level) and so, was almost back to 'normal' levels. Even River Run looked to be drying out! And, since it had been about a week since the official start of the construction effort, I wanted to get some idea of any progress that had been made.

When I arrived in the park area, I noticed that the gate for access to the back of the park had been closed. There were two white vehicles inside along with a couple of men. I couldn't tell if these people were from Lehman Construction (bridge project guys) or were part of some cleanup crew that was trying to get the park back on its feet. 

Off towards the base of the bridge, I could discern what looked like a pile of rocks and maybe some other equipment. Perhaps this was the area (along with the balance of the park behind it) that would serve as a staging ground for materials yet to come. After all, building a structure as a large as a bridge will require an awful lot in terms of components!

I'm hoping to have the opportunity to visit and take pictures of the new bridge as it is erected over the next year. I'm also sure I will hear about the challenges that the city will have to endure in terms of emergency service response times, the busing of students and how the commuters will feel about all this!