Lake of the Ozarks Community Bridge, Missouri

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The Lake of the Ozarks Community Bridge addresses the challenge of building a bridge across the Lake of the Ozarks to link the East Side (St. Louis side) to the West Side (Kansas City side). The bridge serves as a key traffic artery for both tourism and local traffic, expanding the business and recreational opportunities on both sides of the lake. In 1992, the Lake of the Ozarks Community Bridge Corporation (LOCBC) was formed to fund the $43 million project. Construction of the 2,695-foot, $18.2 million toll bridge began in March 1996, and the bridge was open to the public on May 1, 1998. In 2012, the LOCBC was restructured to transfer the bridge’s ownership and operation to the Lake of the Ozarks Community Bridge Transportation Development District (TDD). The funds generated by tolls are used to repay the bonds needed to finance the bridge systems' planning, development, and construction. The TDD hired Jacobs Engineering Group to conduct a study to determine the direction the governing board takes when it comes to reducing costs to pay off debts slower or using project surpluses to pay the debt off early to make the bridge debt toll-free. The study cost the TDD $17,800 and resulted in lowering the off-season toll rates so that local drivers would be able to commute to work with less of an impact. Another reason for conducting the study was that the previous debt agreement prohibited any modifications to the toll rates without a certification from a qualified toll consultant on the expected level of revenues under any toll rate schedule change. The TDD originally received private financing for the project but later applied for a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) loan. The refinancing went from 5.4 percent interest annually to 3.38 percent, lowering expenses by about $1 million annually. In 2018, the bridge’s toll revenues were $3,822,213, and 2019’s revenues were on track to increase by about four percent. About $450,000 from each year’s revenues goes toward salaries and wages for the 18 employees who service the bridge and operate the toll booths. In 2020, the bridge reported owing approximately $17,400,000 in bonds. The TDD expects the bridge to be paid off by 2026, allowing it to be turned over to the State for free use by drivers. It will be maintained by the Missouri Department of Transportation.

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