Work continues on bridge at Big Spring

VAN BUREN, Mo. — Nine months after construction began, work continues on a new Highway 103 bridge at Big Spring, and if contractors can get enough days without rain, the new structure is expected to be complete in late September or early October.

“Mother Nature has been a challenge,” said Robertson Contracting project manager David Stinson, who noted the temporary “work road,” or access pad installed by crews, has been flooded many times, delaying progress.

The geology of the area also has been a bit of a challenge, Stinson said, with weathered rock and gravel in the river bed.

The old bridge, built in 1977, featured a 3-inch-thick asphalt deck laid over a base of 2-by-6 wooden boards butted together, and water supply lines running inside conduit pipes built into the bridge needed special care to keep them from freezing in the winter.

“The existing bridge had water, sewer, electric and telephone lines in it, but new utilities have already been buried in conduit under the river,” Stinson said. Burying them that way will “save some wear and tear during flooding events,” and since they’re buried deep, there’s no threat of freezing water lines.

Robertson Contracting's David Stinson looks at the layer of 2-by-6 boards used as the deck base on the old Highway 103 bridge at Big Spring in Van Buren, Missouri. As shown, many of the boards are heavily decayed.Paul Davis ~ Daily American Republic

While the old bridge was supported by several wooden poles, the new structure will feature concrete approaches, deep concrete abutments on each end, concrete box beams plus a large concrete pier in the middle of its 140-foot span. In all, Stinson said, about 500 cubic yards of concrete will be used in the construction project.

The new bridge also will be slightly higher than the older one, which should help in flood condition, and it “will be pitched a few degrees” for water runoff, Stinson said.

Just like the old bridge, the new one will feature a sidewalk along the north side and wooden posts and railings above the deck. In addition, the concrete structures will be covered with a layer of decorative rock to keep the rustic look of the region, Stinson noted.

“We’ve been planning for this replacement for a while,” said Dena Matteson, chief of interpretation, planning and partnerships at the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. “It’s going to be nice when it’s done.”

Funding for the project, she said, comes from the Federal Highway Administration’s Highway Trust Fund.

Concrete abutments, set deep into the bedrock, will help support the new bridge over the Big Spring branch.Paul Davis ~ Daily American Republic

With the bridge construction ongoing, traffic to the Big Spring area still must be diverted, and motorists can take Pea Vine Road, off Highway 103, to reach the spring, campground and boat ramp.

“The local folks know about it, but for others, Pea Vine Road is the best access,” Matteson said.

Those wishing to visit the lodge and cabins or continue south on Route Z, she said, still can take Highway 103 straight into those areas.