Eureka mayor: Allenton Bridge unsafe, replacement costs far exceed budget; city weighing $1M interim access via Legends Parkway

Eureka Mayor Sean told residents the Allenton Bridge was closed this year after a Missouri Department of Transportation safety inspection found it unsafe to carry traffic.

"It was deemed unsafe. It can't, it can't do anything," Mayor Sean said, describing the inspection result that prompted the immediate closure and the city’s limited authority to reopen the span.

The bridge has been on the city’s capital list for years. Voters approved Proposition E in early 2019 with a package of projects that included a roughly $6 million allocation for a bridge replacement, city hall and flood work. Since then the city has spent about $1.5 million on surveys, engineering and permit work; engineering estimates originally put a replacement in the $8–9 million range, but public bidding returned a low contractor price near $16.5 million and total project estimates that approached $18–20 million when ancillary contracts were included.

Why the escalation? Mayor Sean cited railroads’ work‑window policies and plan‑review requirements as a principal cost driver. Contractors factor repeated mobilizations into bids when Union Pacific and Burlington Northern will not provide predictable periods where crews can work over the tracks. The city also must secure multiple agency approvals, including MoDOT and railroad plan reviews, which added time and expense.

The funding picture remains uncertain. Mayor Sean said the city previously secured about $4 million in federal funding through a Transportation Improvement Program grant but remains short of the bid amounts. State Representative Holly Jones secured a $3 million line item…