A Grand Opening
More than 300 people, including dignitaries from Iowa and Nebraska, attended the dedication ceremony for the opening of the U.S. Highway 34 - Missouri River Bridge Oct. 22 at the AgriVision complex near Pacific Junction.
The four-lane bridge links Interstate 29 in western Mills County with U.S. Highway 75 south of Offutt Air Force Base in Sarpy County, Neb.
Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman and U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa were among the featured speakers.
The two governors both talked about the economic development potential the bridge brings.
“The U.S. 34 project has opened the door for significant economic growth and development, shaping a new landscape for this region,” Branstad said. “This new bridge brings with it much more than just an easy connection between the citizens of Mills and Sarpy counties. The bridge and adjoining roadways will significantly increase the traffic capacity in the region.
“More traffic means more people to the communities supporting existing businesses and the growth of new businesses.”
Similar expectations for the bridge were voiced by Heineman.
“The completion of this bridge is another big step forward for both of our states,” Heineman said. “A strong regional economy benefits both Nebraska and Iowa. Our two states are on the move and we want to do even better in the future.”
Heineman said the bridge, will be an asset to bringing commerce to the region.
“This new bridge provides a more sustainable transportation system for the future and will greatly assist in creating, growing and recruiting businesses to this area,” he said. “That’s what it’s all about at the end of the day, we want to educate our young people and then we want to make sure that we create jobs for them right here in our two states.”
Harkin talked about the government’s responsibility to provide its citizens with a strong transportation system.
“In my book, in addition to national defense, one of the cardinal responsibilities of government is to develop and maintain a world-class transportation and transport system,” Harkin said. “The roads, bridges, canals and navigable rivers are the arteries and veins of our commerce.”
Harkin also singled out praise for Glenwood State Bank and Mills County Economic Development Foundation President Larry Winum for his persistence and on-going efforts over the past 23 years to get the bridge funded and built.
“Larry is a great example of the truism that you don’t have to be on the public payroll to be a public servant,” Harkin said. “Thank you, Larry, for your great leadership and vision. We wouldn’t be here today without you.”
Winum said the bridge project is the first step of the Southwest Iowa Coalition’s long-term goal of getting a “four-lane” Highway 34 from Interstate 29 to Interstate 35.
He also used the occasion to promote the need to resolve federal accreditation issues for the Missouri River levee in western Iowa. Although the levee held up during the Great Flood of 2011, it falls short of meeting current federal guidelines.
“We’ve got issues with getting our levees accredited on both sides of the river, which is going to be another thing in which we’re going to have to work together to get compromise and get a hold of FEMA and the Corps and find a solution to this thing,” Winum said. “If we don’t find a solution and we can’t get our levees accredited, that’s going to impact how well we can develop out there.
“We need to find a congressman or senator who will get passionate about this and then we can sit down with FEMA and come up with some reasonable solution.”
Following the dedication and ribbon cutting in Mills County, the governors led a procession over the new bridge for a luncheon reception in Sarpy County.
The bridge was opened to traffic later in the day.
According to the latest adjusted numbers from the Iowa Department of Transportation, the cost of the project was $115 million, with 80 percent of the funding coming from the federal government and the remaining costs shared by Iowa and Nebraska.
The bridge is 3,276 feet long and 89 feet wide. Nearly 17 million pounds of steel and 24,435 cubic yards of concrete were used for construction.
Steel girders spanning the river are 24 feet long at the piers and 16 feet tall in the middle of the spans.
The footings at the base of the bridge are 57 feet by 69 feet and 15 feet thick, which calculates to about 2,185 cubic yards of concrete. Two piers in the river have steel pipe piles as deep as 160 feet.
Initially, around 2,000 motorists are expected to utilize the bridge on a daily basis.