The Jefferson County Council took the next step to replace a long-decaying bridge on Commerce Drive just south of Arnold.
The council voted unanimously on Aug. 28 to authorize the County Counselor’s Office to begin eminent domain proceedings against one of the property owners near the bridge, which provides access from the West Outer Road to almost 150 homes and eight businesses.
One lane of the current two-lane bridge, which spans Black Creek, has been closed for some time, and school buses and emergency vehicles bypass it.
The county is seeking a temporary construction easement from Perry Plus LLLP, which owns the property on the north side of Commerce Drive that is occupied by Home Source Custom Homes.
The county is seeking to use about 4,950 square feet of the property to gain access to Black Creek during construction.
According to the ordinance that authorizes the filing of the eminent domain suit, contractors will have to remove brick columns and a sign on the property to install a temporary entrance that will allow Home Source to remain open during construction.
The county intends to compensate Perry Plus for the removal of the columns, sign and landscaping, according to the ordinance.
The county maintains the 549.5 feet of Commerce Drive as part of its street acceptance program. It also maintains streets in the Willow Trace and Sierra Vista subdivisions, which include about 150 homes that commonly access the bridge.
The Imperial Industrial Park, through which Commerce Drive runs on its way uphill to the two subdivisions, also includes Transmissions to Go, USA Insulation, Synergy Collaborative Workspace, Painting Solutions and Guide Financial-Nationwide Insurance.
Jefferson County Public Works Director Jason Jonas said county and Missouri Department of Transportation inspectors determined in January 2021 that the lane on the south side of the bridge needed to be closed immediately.
Jonas said soon after the inspection, his department applied for federal matching funds administered by the state’s Off-System Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation program.
He said his department had acquired two construction easements needed for the project, but the third – the land owned by Perry Plus – was problematic.
“We have offered what we believe are fair and reasonable offers,” he said.
With no prospects of an agreement, Jonas approached the county to consider eminent domain proceedings.
In the eminent domain process, the county will file suit and a Circuit Court judge will determine whether the case should proceed. If the judge decides the case has merit, he or she will appoint a three-member commission to determine how much the property owner should be compensated.
Jonas said the engineers designed the new bridge in 2021, and the construction cost was estimated at $800,000, but it likely has gone up. The county will use its share of revenue from a half-cent sales tax for road and bridge improvements to pay for whatever the grant will not cover.