Hurricane Deck Bridge

For the benefit of future researchers, the plaque from the historic bridge is now held by the Camden County Historical Society.

A number of months ago, I reviewed in detail the documents pertaining to the development of this project. I found several serious problems. First, wrongful and inaccurate comparisons of this bridge to the collapsed I-35W Bridge; a complete lack of understanding about what caused the I-35W Bridge collapse. Second, unproven claims about service life of a replacement bridge, and greatly underestimated service life of a fully rehabilitated historic Hurricane Deck Bridge. Thirdly, a failure to acknowledge that the deterioration outlined in bridge inspection reports was relatively minor and easily correctable through rehabilitation.

I submitted a detailed letter to MoDOT as part of a public comment period. I am attaching it to this post in case anyone wants a more detailed discussion of the problems I found.

In short, replacing this bridge is in my opinion a waste of a preservable bridge and a waste of tax payer dollars. And as for the replacement bridge, it is a bridge that makes me envy the blind.

View attachment #1 (PDF document, version 1.7, 346641 bytes)

Ish. This thing won't be winning any "most beautiful steel structure" contests, I can sure tell you that! Gross!

This article has a proposed photo of what the new bridge will look like. Looks pretty ugly if you ask me.

http://www.theccreporter.com/stories/316112.htm

While it is sad to see his bridge go its to the point where they are spending $10million ever 10-15 years to keep it drivable. The new bridge is budgeted at $30mill and is expected to last 50 or more years.

Would be nice if the new bridge was a nice looking one instead of just the same steel girder bridges that are ever where.

I cannot believe that MODOT wants to tear down the Hurricane Deck Bridge.

Is there anything we can do to stop them??

While they are at it, why doesn't MODOT suggest to the French government that tearing down the Eiffel tower would be a great idea?? After all it is made of the same material and is 40yrs older than the HD Bridge!

With paint and minor periodic structural repairs this bridge would last many more decades.

This is a complete waste of money and will destroy a beautiful structure in the process.

!!!!STOP THE INSANITY!!!!

Hey.......we could restore this amazing span that was (and still is) so beautiful when it was built that it won an award. But......wait........what would our friends over at PennDOT do?.......oh okay lets spend over 4 times more and demolish it!

Makes sense to me!!!!!.......matter of fact, I'm givin' em' 2 of these cause it's such an ingenious plan!

The photo caption for the plaque photo for this bridge has one of the contractors listed as "??? Construction Co." The correct contractor, according to the original bridge plan sheets is W.A. Ross Construction Company.

As a teenager, I used to fish around Hurricane Deck Bridge. My aunt and uncle lived on one side of the lake and we generally stayed at an old resort called Valentine's which was across the lake and almost under the bridge. Sadly, both my aunt and uncle have passed and I'm told the resort closed years ago.

your all phaggots for taking pictures of a bridge!

and putting it on the internet..

(ps. I know I spelled phaggots wrong, I like spelling it like this.

I lived in Camdenton for a few years, worked at Camden County Revielle Newspaper.

I took pictures, wrote a story about the terrible accident on the Hurricane Deck bridge hill.

I just wanted to find any information about that accident.

Can anyone help?

Also, I love these old bridges.

I spent almost 20 years as an engineer officer in the Army and old bridges are fascinating to me.

It's an interesting connection for me; this great old bridge and that terrible accident - I was the 1st reporter on the scene.

Plus, I am a safety consultant now - working with trucking companies and safety programs - if I can even find my old story it would help make a point about brake maintenance for commercial motor vehicles.

I HAVE BEEN CHECKING BACK HERE FOR OVER A YEAR! THANKS FOR THAT INFORMATION.

This is a great and unique bridge for the lake. Although let's just hope it doesn't get tore down and replaced by a concrete eye sore.

Below answer to Sep 07 question is copied from lakehistory dot info. It is a great site full of Lake of the Ozarks trivia, and pictures of the old bridges...

HURRICANE DECK is a nautical term associated with river steamboats. The hurricane deck was the uppermost deck. It provided a pleasant, breezy place to watch the passing scenery.

Steamboats plied the Osage River through much of the nineteenth century. Crewmen on these steamers named many of the prominent landmarks along the way. A certain long, flat ridge along the left (descending) bank of the river caught the attention of the steamboatmen. They came to call it the "hurricane deck" because it afforded quite a view of the river, and the wind always seemed to blow there.

Hurricane Deck ridge runs along the east side of Porter Mill Bend, between mile markers 37 and 38. Lake Road 5-36 follows the crest of the ridge.

PLEASE ANSWER IF YOU CAN. WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF THE NAME HURRICANE DECK ? THANK YOU.

man. I've been trying to get deck truss bridges to stay up in the simulator tonight and it's rare! BE CARFULL.

I now work just up hwy 5 from this bridge. The work has been completed for this year on the bridge it now has a new deck surface. The guardrails are quite rusted on the sides, but over all the bridge seems in good shape for all the traffic it gets. Its one of the most scenic views on any bridge any were. The design really does allow for a better view than other bridge types.

I have just purchased a sail boat and I'm wondering the clearance height of Hurricane Deck bridge at full 6:60 level....Please, also let me know the new bridge on 54 highway and also the height of the new toll bridge on the Lake of the Ozarks....thanks Jim Franklin