County expects to officially reopen road this fall
Posted 11/7/19
By Tim Schmidt Record Managing Editor Warren County expects to officially reopen Augusta Bottom Road this fall once crews complete improvements to a controversial stretch. A settlement agreement …
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County expects to officially reopen road this fall
Posted
By Tim SchmidtRecord Managing EditorWarren County expects to officially reopen Augusta Bottom Road this fall once crews complete improvements to a controversial stretch.A settlement agreement between several government entities and other parties is nearly wrapped up, county commissioners said last week. They are awaiting to receive one more signature to finalize the pact. Improvements to the driving surface and other safety features are planned to immediately begin once all parties have signed off on the agreement.“Once we get the final easement, dump trucks will be on the road the following day,” Southern District Commissioner Hubie Kluesner said.The agreement states four governments — Warren County, St. Charles County, Washington and Augusta — will each provide funds totaling $80,000 to have guardrails erected in the area known as the Augusta Parkway. In addition, Warren County will assume ownership of the portion known as the Parkway.In the event a flood would destroy the levee road over the next 10 years, no repairs would be made unless funding was made available through FEMA.The agreement is in response to a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the parents of a 16-year-old Washington girl who was killed in a traffic accident on the road in 2010. That suit was settled Aug. 31, according to online court records.As part of the agreement, Warren County will be required to repair the portion of the road known as the Augusta Parkway and maintain it to where it is similar to the rest of the roadway that lies in the county, and be allowed to installed reflective warning signs where utility poles and a tree are located in lieu of moving or removing the objects.The improvements will allow the county to officially reopen the road, though motorists use it on a daily basis despite signs stating that a portion of it is closed.Warren County must assume ownership of the Augusta Parkway by Oct. 30 and complete repairs and safety improvements this fall if feasible, but no later than July 1, 2016, the agreement states. The guardrails are expected to be installed in 2016 after an engineering firm is hired to determine placement.Presiding Commissioner Roger Mauzy said the stretch of the Parkway is nearly impassable for vehicles that currently use it.“I am very, very happy we are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel on this thing and making it safer for everybody,” he said. “We will move on it and move relatively quickly.”Warren County will provide $20,000 in funds for guardrails to be installed on both sides of the Augusta Parkway, with the rest of the funds coming from Augusta ($20,000) St. Charles County ($25,000 loaned to August) and Washington ($15,000).Other parties listed in the agreement are Kessler Farms, Inc., Beatrice R. Kessler Trust, Kathryn Kessler, Diane Kessler, Thomas Kessler, David Neier and Dawn Tucker.The guardrails had been recommended as part of a road safety audit conducted by HR Green, Inc., in 2011. That study was funded jointly by Washington and MoDOT.The controversial road is located in southeastern Warren County and southwestern St. Charles County. It is primarily used by motorists traveling to and from St. Charles County and Washington. The portion of the road in Warren County is gravel, while the St. Charles County section is paved with asphalt.
This aerial photo shows the Augusta Parkway section of Augusta Bottom Road which has been closed. The parkway is flanked by large ponds that were created after the 1993 Missouri River flood washed out that stretch of roadway. A Washington teen died in an October 2010 crash when her car ran off the Parkway and landed in one of the ponds.
