The Federal Highway Administration recently took back $8.7 billion from national highway programs.  In Missouri, MoDOT had to cut its budget by $202 million. This meant it had less money to allocate to different county programs.  For instance, high risk rural roads lost $1,903,644.  Another program that lost money was the bridge off system, or the program to repair county bridges.

"What they did was then look at the various funding streams of money that comes to the state whether it's for bridges, whether it's for pavement, whether it's for enhancements, congestion mitigation," MoDOT District Engineer Roger Schwartze said. "Those are all different pots of money that are available to be spent and they simply took a straight percentage to each of those based on how much their unobligated balance was at that time."

Callaway County lost $106,805 for bridge repair.  For mid-Missouri that number was about in the middle, with Camden County losing the least at $14,092 and Miller County losing the most money with $257,973.  Schwartze explained the reason for these discrepancies. 

"If you have more bad bridges you do get more money in that area than if you have good ones," Schwartze said.

Callaway County Highway Administrator Paul Winkelmann said the county saves up enough money to repair one bridge about every three years. The next bridge on the list is located outside of New Bloomfield on County Road 436. 

"Currently, we were looking for a consultant to start design on that," said Winkelmann. "We've kind of put it on hold to see what would happen with these B.R.O. funds, the rescission, plus there's some grants available out there that we've applied for."

Alan Glick lives right next to the bridge on County Road 436.  He said years flooding have caused the bridge to break down. It used to be able to hold 20 tons and now it is only safe to hold five tons.

"If we hall cattle out, a trailer load of cattle...If you want to be safe about it you have to go 14 miles around to get to where you would normally be two miles from the highway," Glick said.

Glick said he had talked to contractors who have come down to do estimates on the bridge.  He said they want to raise it up and make it wider so it will be less likely to have flood damage.  Unfortunately, Winkelmann said this project is going to be put on hold for the time being. 

"It will not affect any active projects," Schwartze said. "This affect is on projects that are in the planning stages where cities or counties may have been developing plans to get ready to go to bid."