Green Bridge ribbon-cutting planned Dec. 29; ceremony logistics and community access arranged

Christian County commissioners and staff finalized plans for the Green Bridge ribbon-cutting scheduled for 10 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 29, and discussed public-access logistics, historical interpretation and photo/video coverage.

Staff said the road will be closed starting at 9 a.m. and remain closed until roughly 11 a.m. or until attendees depart. The ceremony will take place on the bridge approach; the county and City of Ozark are coordinating shuttle buses with two timed trips (roughly 9:25 and 9:40 a.m.) to bring visitors to the site. Organizers reserved parking for participants and agreed to allow accommodations for attendees with disabilities.

Speakers on the timeline include commissioners and a Great River Engineering representative; county staff are arranging podiums, sound systems, drone or ground photography, historical markers describing the old bridge’s location, and a photo opportunity with county and family representatives. County staff suggested bringing a fire truck or heavy-equipment display on-site for a photograph to illustrate emergency-service access improvements; commissioners noted there is no guarantee emergency vehicles would remain on-site during a live emergency call-out.

The commission encouraged broad community participation and asked staff to coordinate media outreach and produce photos for the county newsletter and social channels. The ribbon-cutting and related preservation work are part of larger campus improvements that include walking trails and an amphitheater near the preserved bridge elements.