EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, Mo. — Replacing a bridge is rarely simple, but the Garland Avenue Bridge project has become far more complicated than anyone expected, not because of the structure itself, but because of the federal requirements tied to the funding.
To understand what has happened and where the project stands, we sat down with Public Works Director Chad Birdsong for a series of conversations that included both in-person discussions and a lengthy follow-up phone call. Birdsong also shared additional technical information that Bartlett and West Senior Project Manager Scott Komarek provided to him throughout the process. Komarek was not present for the interview, but his detailed guidance helped inform many of the explanations Birdsong offered.
“We started this two years ago and have been working through the federal process ever since.”
Birdsong explained that the City submitted the initial Request for Environmental Review in November 2023. That first submission triggered a long sequence of federal reviews, each with its own requirements and approval pathways. Some of the reviews moved quickly. Birdsong said that noise, wetland, migratory bird, socioeconomic, and hazardous material reviews were cleared without much trouble and within the first year.
Once those were complete, the project hit two complicated hurdles. The first came from FEMA and SEMA. The second came from historic preservation regulations.
FEMA and SEMA: A Year of Clarifications and Floodplain Questions
Birdsong said that FEMA and SEMA required multiple rounds of clarification regarding the bridge’s possible impact on runoff and the surrounding floodplain. Even though the new bridge replaces an existing structure, federal reviewers questioned whether the updated design and new abutments might change the way water moves through the area. According to Birdsong, he and the engineering team provided four separate sets of documents between August and October of 2024 to show that the new design actually improves the floodplain.
That review was finally cleared in early June 2025. As soon as the City received that approval, it was uploaded to MoDOT. Birdsong said they are still waiting on MoDOT to complete its review, which is required before the project can move on to the next phase.
Historic Preservation: The Most Time-Intensive Part of the Project
FEMA was a challenge, but the most complicated part of the project has been the historic preservation review. Birdsong explained that because the Garland Avenue Bridge sits within The Elms Local Historic District and because the bridge itself is considered a historic resource, the federal government requires a full Section 106 review along with a Section 4(f) analysis.
Those reviews involve detailed cultural resource reports, formal consultation with the Missouri State Historic Preservation Office, and coordination with MoDOT and the Federal Highway Administration. At one point, the project also required consultation with tribes whose historical ties to the land must be considered before the federal government can act.
Birdsong said there were long stretches where his team responded to federal comments the same day they received them, but then waited weeks for agencies to respond. He noted that the federal government shutdown slowed progress even further. In September 2024, the State Historic Preservation Office determined that the project would have an adverse effect on the historic district. That finding increased the level of federal oversight and required additional documentation and agency involvement.
Birdsong said that the City and Bartlett and West have spent months preparing, revising, and resubmitting documents so that federal reviewers can continue their work. Much of the remaining effort centers on completing the Memorandum of Agreement that outlines how historic resources will be handled throughout the project.
Waiting on NEPA: “It is the key that allows everything else to begin.”
Even though nearly all individual reviews have been completed, the project cannot move forward until the federal government issues its NEPA classification. Birdsong described NEPA approval as the key that unlocks the rest of the process. Without it, the City cannot receive its A date, which is the authorization needed to begin acquiring easements and right of way.
NEPA cannot be issued until the historic preservation review is formally complete. That final piece is the primary factor holding the project in place today.
A Realistic Timeline
Birdsong is cautious about offering predictions, but based on the pace of federal reviews and the information Komarek has shared with him, he believes the most realistic schedule looks something like this. If the remaining federal approvals come through late this year or early next year, easement and right-of-way acquisition could begin in 2026. Once that phase is complete, the project would move into final engineering approval, bidding, and contractor selection. If everything stays on track, construction would likely begin during the 2027 construction season. Once work begins, Birdsong said construction should take roughly one season.
- Late 2025 – Early 2026: NEPA approval, depending on MoDOT and FHWA
- 2026: Easement and right-of-way acquisition
- Late 2026: Final engineering approval and contractor bidding
- 2027 construction season: First realistic opportunity for bridge work to begin
- Construction duration: Approximately one season
“We are pushing constantly to keep the project moving.”
Birdsong emphasized that the City and the engineering team have been proactive at every step and have worked as quickly as federal agencies allow. He said the City has been ready to proceed at several points when reviews were stalled at MoDOT or FHWA for long stretches of time.
He understands that residents want to see progress. He does too.
“The federal process is detailed and required. We do not get to skip any part of it once we accept federal money,” he said. “We want this bridge replaced, and we have pushed throughout the process to keep everything moving so we can get to construction.”
The Bottom Line
The Garland Avenue Bridge project is not stalled. It is navigating the final stages of a complicated federal review process that has involved FEMA, SEMA, MoDOT, SHPO, FHWA, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and tribal governments.
According to Birdsong, most of the required steps have now been completed. The final historic preservation components and the NEPA approval are still pending. Once those are issued, the City can begin acquiring easements and preparing for the construction phase.
“We are getting very close to the finish line on the federal side,” Birdsong said. “Once those last approvals come through, residents will finally see visible progress.”
It is important for residents to know that many of the major issues facing the city are being worked on every single day, even when progress is not immediately visible. When federal dollars are involved, the process can take years to move from planning to construction. Even a well-oiled private operation like QuikTrip required a long timeline to bring its project across the finish line.
The same is true for the multi-million dollar RAISE project, which has already been underway for more than two years and will ultimately bring major improvements in sidewalks, road repairs, and community connectivity. Just because you do not see dirt moving does not mean nothing is happening. Significant work takes place long before ground is broken, and the Garland Avenue Bridge is no exception.
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