(The following story by Ken Leiser appeared on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch website on February 14.)
ST. LOUIS, Mo. — Enterprise Rent-A-Car founder Jack Taylor has pledged $200,000 to preserve an old railroad bridge targeted for dismantling in Boonville.
Paula Shannon of the Save the Katy Bridge Coalition said today that the large pledge raises the group’s total commitments to $365,000. The group is trying to raise $1 million to refurbish the old lift bridge over the Missouri River for pedestrian use.
Taylor acknowledged in a prepared statement that while he does not do a lot of hiking or bicycling, he appreciates “the heritage of landmarks like the Katy Railroad bridge” and said the trail is “worth preserving and improving for future generations.”
The Union Pacific Railroad Co. wants to dismantle the bridge and use its steel for a new rail bridge over the Osage River. Last year, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources relinquished the state’s interest in the bridge but that triggered a lawsuit by Attorney General Jay Nixon, who called it a giveaway to a private business.
Nixon and others are concerned that removing the bridge will sever part of the 200-mile corridor that was being preserved for potential rail use in the future. That, in turn, could threaten the Katy Trail should property owners try to reclaim their railroad easements.
Shannon said the risk to the Katy Trail is one of three driving forces behind saving and restoring the bridge. The others include its history value and its potential as a tourist attraction. Her nonprofit group is seeking pledges for now, ranging from the $1 promised by a 9-year-old girl to Taylor’s six-figure pledge.
She said the highway bridge now used by Katy Trail users is not as compatible with bicycling or hiking as a refurbished rail bridge would be.
“The neat thing about the railroad bridge is you are away from the sounds of the traffic and congestion and you can just enjoy Mother Nature and the Big Muddy,” Shannon said.