Engelbrecht

LEXINGTON, Mo. - Demolition of the old Route 13 Missouri River bridge will continue, weather permitting, Monday, Sept. 19 with a blast that will take down the two remaining piers. Piers 6 (south bank) and 7 (middle of river) will be destroyed above water. Blast time is yet to be determined.

Blasts on Aug. 23, Aug. 31, Sept. 8 and Sept. 14 demolished all remaining structural steel.

Traffic could be stopped for up to 10 minutes for safety purposes during blasting. Spectators are encouraged to view demolition activities from Lexington Riverfront Park. A 1,000-ft. safety zone during all blasting will be maintained by local and state law enforcement.

LEXINGTON, Mo. - Explosive demolition of the old Route 13 Missouri River bridge will continue, weather permitting, Wednesday, Sept. 14 with a fourth blast that will section up the south land spans (spans 4 and 5). The spans will be dropped over land and removed by mechanical means.

LEXINGTON, Mo. - Explosive demolition of the old Route 13 Missouri River bridge will continue, weather permitting, Thursday, Sept. 8 with a third multi-shot blast that will section up the south river span (span 6). The span will be blown into pieces and dropped into the Missouri River. This will be the last of the two river shots for the project.

The first simple blast occurred at 10:50 a.m. August 23 and dropped three land spans (8, 9, and 10) on the north end of the structure. The second multi-shot blast occurred at 8 a.m. August 31 and dropped the north river span (7) into the Missouri River.

LEXINGTON, Mo. - Explosive demolition of the old Route 13 Missouri River bridge is scheduled to continue Wednesday, Aug. 31 with a second multi-shot blast that will section up the north river span (span 7). The span will be blown into five pieces and dropped into the Missouri River. This will be the first of the two river shots for the project.

The first simple blast occurred at 10:50 a.m. August 23 and dropped three land spans (8, 9, and 10) on the north end of the structure.

Due to the possibility of inclement weather on Saturday, May 14, we have moved the Highway 13 Missouri River bridge dedication ceremony indoors to the Wentworth Military Academy Field House (athletic center), 1880 Washington Street, Lexington, Mo.

LEXINGTON, Mo. - The new Route 13 Missouri River bridge will be dedicated at noon, Saturday, May 14, 2005, at the south approach to the structure, just outside the Lexington, Mo., city limits. The bridge is scheduled to open to traffic by mid-June barring inclement weather.

Saturday's public dedication ceremony will include performances by Wentworth Military Academy's color guard, band and choir, the Lexington High School choir, and the Richmond High School band. Guest speakers will include U.S. Rep. Ike Skelton and elected state, county and city officials.

Also planned is a B-2 Spirit fly over, ribbon cutting and inaugural drive featuring more than 50 classic and convertible vehicles. Following the ceremony, the bridge will be open to all in attendance for viewing and photography.

Free continuous shuttle service to and from the site is available from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. from Wentworth Military Academy, 1880 Washington Ave., and the Student Success Center, 735 S. Highway 13, both located in Lexington, Mo. There will be no public parking at the dedication site.

In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will take place indoors at the Wentworth Military Academy Field House, 1880 Washington Ave.

Community Seeks to Name Bridge for Congressman Ike Skelton

LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. - If Ray and Lafayette County citizens have their way, the new Highway 13 Missouri River bridge will be named "The Congressman Ike Skelton Bridge" for U.S. Rep. Ike Skelton, who represents Missouri's 4th District.

The Highway 13 Missouri River Bridge Dedication Steering Committee launched a bridge-naming public outreach campaign in mid-November to solicit ideas from area residents. It received 70 letters and e-mails with more than 125 suggestions from residents of Lafayette, Ray, Clinton, Caldwell and Carroll counties.

Although the Committee received many excellent suggestions, approximately 25 percent of the correspondence requested the bridge be named for Skelton, who led the effort to secure federal funding for the bridge's construction. The Committee concluded the selection process at its Dec. 16 meeting.

Skelton said he is "extremely flattered that Missourians in his district would extend such an honor," and he graciously accepted. The bridge's name will become official once approved by the Missouri General Assembly.

October 29, 2004

Lexington Artist to Create Bridge Commemorative Art

LEXINGTON, Mo. - Lifelong Lexington resident Ryan Engelbrecht has been selected by the Highway 13 Missouri River Bridge Dedication Steering Committee to design the official commemorative artwork for the dedication of the new bridge.

Nine artists from Lafayette and Ray counties submitted samples for the opportunity to design the commemorative art. "There was a lot of discussion about all the entries and it was a tough decision," said Ann Crume, Lexington Chamber of Commerce executive director. "All the submissions were excellent." The Committee made the selection at its Sept. 9 meeting.

Engelbrecht decided to submit his artwork when he learned the opportunity was limited to Lafayette and Ray county residents. "There aren't very many chances to do something like this," said Engelbrecht. "This is part of history since there has only been one bridge dedication in Lexington prior to this. I hope I can create something that people will enjoy and remember."

Engelbrecht earned a degree in illustration from Central Missouri State University. He describes himself as mostly self-taught. "I strive for realism in my artwork," said Engelbrecht.

Engelbrecht is employed full-time by United Parcel Service and part-time for Baker Memorials where he etches drawings into memorial stones. "I'm not a full-time artist," said Engelbrecht. "This is mostly a hobby for me. I feel honored to be a part of this dedication and to help design the commemorative artwork."

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