Troubled Water No More
Notley Hawkins
Every day as I cross the newer bridge into Boonville on my way to work, I glance to my right for a look at the Katy Bridge. It stands silent and unused over the river, one of the most interesting bridges I've seen.
In August 2008, the fate of the Katy Bridge was sketchy at best. The threat that it would be torn down was looming. The City of Boonville and Union Pacific Railroad each had plans for the bridge. After years of litigation, fundraising, and uncertainty, its fate is determined.
Gov. Jay Nixon announced today that an agreement had been reached with Union Pacific to transfer the bridge ownership to Boonville. Nixon credited the success to the diligence of the Boonville community, the Save the Katy Bridge Coalition, and Paula Shannon, among others; it's "citizen action in action," he said.
This is also a momentous day for Sarah Gallagher, Boonville's economic development director, who from her first month in office five years ago to now has been fighting to save the bridge for the city's economic development and hertiage and cultural endeavors.
After standing nearly eighty years over the river, the bridge will have new life. Although future use for the bridge has yet to be cemented, plans under consideration for the bridge include incorporating it into the Katy Trail State Park.
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