County now owns controversial stretch of Bottom Road
Posted 11/7/19
By Tim Schmidt Record Managing Editor Ownership of a controversial stretch of Augusta Bottom Road has been transferred to Warren County. The final easement was signed last week and recorded on Nov. …
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County now owns controversial stretch of Bottom Road
Posted
By Tim SchmidtRecord Managing EditorOwnership of a controversial stretch of Augusta Bottom Road has been transferred to Warren County.The final easement was signed last week and recorded on Nov. 20, county commissioners confirmed Monday. The move means that a portion of the road known as the Augusta Parkway is now under the ownership of Warren County. It was previously owned by the town of Augusta.The ownership transfer was part of an agreement between multiple government entities and other parties. It was supposed to have been completed by Oct. 30, but an attorney representing an insurance company for one of the adjacent landowners led to the delay.“It looks like there is a light at the end of the tunnel,” Presiding Commissioner Roger Mauzy said.Augusta Bottom Road remains officially closed, though commissioners hope improvements can be made to the driving surface soon. The county’s legal counsel is currently reviewing on whether or not a public hearing needs to be held related to a variance.According to commissioners, a variance may be needed since the county’s road policy prohibits it from owning a road that goes over a levee, dam or adjacent to a body of water. Augusta Bottom Road sits on a levee and has water on both sides in the section known as the parkway.“We’re waiting on a call from our attorney to determine if a public hearing is needed,” Southern District Commissioner Hubie Kluesner said.If a public hearing has to be scheduled, improvements to the driving surface will be delayed further.As part of a settlement agreement, the county must make repairs and safety improvements this fall if feasible, but no later than July 1, 2016.The agreement states that 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 parkway.Warren County is required to repair the portion of the road known as the parkway and maintain it to where it is similar to the rest of the roadway that lies in the county, and be allowed to install reflective warning signs where utility poles and a tree are located in lieu of moving or removing the objects.Guardrails are expected to be installed in 2016 after an engineering firm is hired to determine placement, as part of the safety improvements. Guardrails were recommended as part of a road safety audit conducted in 2011.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.Augusta Bottom 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 air photo shows the Augusta Parkway section of Augusta Bottom Road which is officially closed. The parkway is flanked by large ponds that were created after the 1993 Missouri River flood washed out that stretch of roadway. File Photo.
