Gorin Mayor Raises Alarm Over Bridge Closure, Safety Concerns

PROTECTED CONTENT

If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.

Username

Password

Login

Lost your password?

Username and Password Help

Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.

Email

Submit

← Back

By Echo Menges

GORIN, Mo. — Gorin Mayor Teel Pflum says she was blindsided this summer when she discovered the county planned to close two key crossings near town — a move she says could leave residents stranded and first responders unable to reach emergencies in a timely manner.

The railroad crossings have been closed by the county. The crossing on Highway 156 roughly 1.5 miles east of Gorin, and the crossing on County Road 115 also known as Hicks Road, roughly one mile east of Gorin, are no longer in use.

Pflum said she learned of the planned closure in July, when a notice was zip-tied to the door of City Hall. “They didn’t mail us anything. They didn’t call,” Pflum said. “They zip-tied it to the doorknob.”

The notice, signed by the county commissioners, stated that bridges on Routes 115 and 156 would be closed. Pflum said the notice was confusing — even incorrectly labeled “new bridge closure” at the top — and came as a shock to the city’s recently restored local government.

“Now there is only one way to get across the tracks,” Pflum said. “Our crossing is closed at least one to two weeks every summer when the railroad redoes it, and that completely divides our town.”

Pflum said the closure could have serious consequences. The fire department sits on the west side of the tracks, while most of the town’s first responders live on the east. “If there’s a house fire or medical emergency, they can’t get there in time,” she said. Helicopters responding to emergencies also land just outside town at the Rainbow Schoolhouse, adding to the concern.

The alternate route over the new bridge, Pflum said, is not ideal for large vehicles. “If you’re in a big pickup or a fire truck, someone has to back up,” she said. “And in the winter, they don’t clear those roads for four or five days after a snow.”

Frustrated by the lack of communication, Gorin residents launched a petition and began researching the bridge decision. Pflum said city officials found that the Missouri Department of Transportation had posted the closure notice for 30 days last year after an internal investigation, but the city was never directly informed.

Pflum said the town’s new leadership — which took office this spring after years of limited city activity — has since joined the Missouri Municipal League for legal guidance. The membership, which costs $500 annually, was funded through community yard sales and by shutting off unnecessary streetlights.

“We were paying for some lights on private property we didn’t even know about,” Pflum said. “We shut those off and saved about $100 a month.”

Despite the challenges, Pflum said she’s determined to make Gorin’s voice heard. “They’ve been saying, ‘It’s just Gorin,’ for years,” she said. “Well, it’s not just Gorin. We’re people too.”