The following is a brief of the story. For the full story, see Wednesday's print edition of the Boonville Daily News.

By profession or avocation, they were cardiologists, trail walkers, musicians, historians, preservationists, government officials and business owners. There was even a sprinkling of engineers and an architect. Local and regional concerns were represented, as well as state and national interests. Issues included river navigation, property rights, economic development, recreation and historic preservation.

This diverse group of nearly 100 people was brought together Tuesday night to discuss the future – and possible demolition – of Boonville’s MKT Railroad Bridge. The public meeting, held in the Flamingo Bay Room at the Isle of Capri Casino and Hotel, was called by the U.S. Coast Guard as part of its efforts to comply with the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and other guidelines as it proceeds with steps to have the bridge – unused since 1986 – removed from the Missouri River. The lift span bridge, finished in 1932, is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

However, instead of discussing the process to record the history of the bridge – a spot where a bridge has stood continuously since 1874 – the meeting almost immediately became a discussion of how to save the bridge from demolition, and in order to do so, the need to transfer ownership from Union Pacific Railroad to another entity who would take the necessary steps to convert the structure into a usable bridge, allowing it to remain in place.

Otherwise, it will come down. Roger Wiebusch, a Coast Guard bridge administrator and moderator of the meeting, said the Coast Guard’s duty is to remove obstructions from navigation routes. The Katy Bridge was been so identified, and a Coast Guard order was issued 17 years ago for Union Pacific to demolish the bridge, he said.

“The railroad is removing the bridge because we told them to,” Wiebusch said.

Dr. Gerald Lee, a noted Kansas City cardiologist was the first from the audience to take the microphone. Although he spoke from his experience as a doctor and the need to encourage Missourians to hike as a prevention against cardiovascular disease, he said he was at the meeting as a Missourian because he sees the issue as a state issue. He said the bridge could become one of the crown jewels of Missouri, “if we can come to an agreement. Finances are very important. I’m not just talking about Boonville or Cooper County or central Missouri – this is an issue for the 144 counties and the City of St. Louis to make this come to fruition.”