modot

MoDot employee dies after being caught in machinery
The Associated Press


BARNHART, Mo. --A Missouri Department of Transportation employee died Friday after his clothing got stuck in a salt-spreading device on a dump truck.

Jefferson County Sheriff Glenn Boyer says the 37-year-old man is an Arcadia resident. The accident happened in Barnhart.

Boyer said the man's clothing was caught in a power shaft that operates the salt-spreader.

The man was taken to St. Anthony's Hospital where he died from his injuries. His name has not yet been released.



SPRINGFIELD ― Two bits of positive news came out of the meeting between the Missouri Department of Transportation and the Taney County stakeholders: more time and a possible avenue of funding.

"It's a big positive that we have a little more time to make a decision," Presiding Commissioner Chuck Pennel said after the meeting.

More time was one request made by Branson Mayor Raeanne Presley, saying she felt making a rushed decision (on the bridge question) might not be a "wise decision."

The question before the group was whether to proceed with the short-term fix for the old bridge or commit to the design of the B10 choice that the group agrees is the best answer to the traffic problem.

District Engineer Kirk Juranas agreed to return to the MoDOT Cost Sharing Program to request a reassessment of the possibility of some funding from that program. As he voiced his agreement to attempt to help in the search for funding Branson and Hollister officials along with the county commissioners seemed to break a reluctance to talk money.

Juranas conceded that if MoDOT would allot funds through the program the cost sharing might address the gap in funding that brought the stakeholders to MoDOT's table since it commits a portion of project costs for projects not on the department's right-of-way and construction program, but that will still benefit the state highway system.

By consensus the entire county group stated that closing the bridge for a year was not a viable option and they all indicated to Juranus that going forward with the new bridge design was appropriate at this time. Juranas said he would need to delay any further meetings until February to allow him to meet with and discuss the situation with officials of the cost sharing committee.

Chad Zickefoose, project engineer assured the group that the Taneycomo bridge would hold up in the time frame it would take to build a new one.