Jefferson City seeks grant to replace closed Ohio Street bridge
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
A bridge that has been closed to vehicles since 2018 could reopen as Jefferson City seeks state funding to replace it and improve access to Washington Park.
The Jefferson City Council will vote Monday on a grant application to replace the Ohio Street bridge.
The bridge, which crosses Wears Creek to South Boulevard, closed to vehicles in 2018 after the Missouri Department of Transportation conducted a structural inspection. It remains open to pedestrians.
Replacing the bridge would cost about $845,000, per city documents. A state grant focused on smaller municipal bridges that could cover up to 80% of the project, or about $676,000.
The city would be responsible for the remaining cost. City spokeswoman Molly Bryan said most of the city's share would come from sales tax revenue.
The High Street viaduct, which spans Missouri Boulevard and also needs to be replaced, is not eligible for the grant, Bryan said.
In 2024, the city added eight pickleball courts to Washington Park at 805 Ohio St. The city also put up concession stands for evening visitors earlier this year.
The parks department is also planning a proposed $4 million inclusive playground that would replace the tennis courts behind the ice arena at Washington Park. The parks department is also planning a new entrance sign for Washington Park off Missouri Boulevard and upgrades to the ice arena's HVAC system.
"Due to all the redevelopment and investment that JC Parks has been putting into that Washington Park area, we thought this would be a good opportunity to put our hat in the ring to get some funding," Bryan said.
Bryan said replacing the bridge also would benefit emergency responders. To access the pickleball courts from Missouri Boulevard, Bryan said a vehicle must take another street, which delays how fast an emergency responder could reach the scene.
"When seconds could matter, you want to make sure you have that one-way access down to those pickleball courts," Bryan said.
Lyric Phelps frequently visits the Washington Park pickleball courts. He said he often stops at Will West Music and Sound on Missouri Boulevard before playing pickleball.
If the Ohio Street bridge were open to vehicles, Phelps said he could drive directly from the music store to the courts. Instead, he must turn left onto Missouri Boulevard and then turn left again onto Michigan Street or Kansas Street.
"I have to go all the way through the Boulevard and then back around to come play pickleball. It'd just make it a lot easier," Phelps said of possibly reopening the Ohio Street bridge.
If the city receives the grant funding, Bryan said the project would likely begin in 2027.
