Joplin council advances automated gate system for bridge

May 18—A project to purchase and install a long-awaited automated gate system for the low-water bridge on Murphy Boulevard west of Main Street was advanced for approval Monday night by the Joplin City Council.

The city's assistant public works director over engineering, Dan Johnson, proposed a contract with Joplin Industrial Electric for the construction of a high-water gate system on Murphy Boulevard. The cost is $186,496.

It is a project that residents in north Joplin had sought because the Turkey Creek low-water bridge would be blocked by gates during floods. The current warning system involves using a float level sensor that activates blinking warning lights during floods. City employees, either public works or police officers, would go to the bridge and manually lower gates to stop traffic over the bridge during high water. Sometimes the barricades would not be opened for a time after floodwaters receded.

"We had to physically check the bridge to see that there is no remaining debris washed across the bridge" before opening the gate, Johnson said.

The city also had a problem with the sensor malfunctioning and giving false readings, Johnson said.

As a result, city staff proposed a replacement system that would use a radar sensor to detect high water and a gate system that will automatically close and open. The computerized system also would send text or email messages to city personnel to provide immediate notification of high water.

In addition, the system will provide real-time observation of conditions at the bridge using a camera with night vision capability.

Johnson said the project was included in a list of projects to be funded by the parks and stormwater sales tax that voters approved in 2021 for a new 10-year cycle. That would be the source of funding for the new system. The needs for the functions of the system were established based on discussions with residents of the Roanoke neighborhood where the bridge is located.

The specifications for a provider were extensive because the city wanted a company that could do maintenance and repair as well as system design and installation of the equipment, including the electronic messaging and surveillance. The system is to be purchased provided by TAPCO, based in Kansas City. Bidders could provide the TAPCO system or a similar system as long as it performed the functions in the TAPCO system, Johnson said.

Only one bid was received, that of Industrial Electric. He asked the council to approve the project.

Councilman Josh DeTar said he lives in that area.

"I know what a horrible situation that gate can be. It can be closed for days at a time because people can't get down there to open the gate even though the water has subsided," he said. He asked if the proposed location of the west gate of the system would be located on the curve of the street, which he said is a blind curve and could pose a problem for motorists, especially if they need to turn around.

Johnson said there will be orange warning lights. DeTar said those lights blink all the time and asked if the new gate could be moved to the current location so there was room for motorists to see and safely turn around.

Council member Kate Spencer agreed, saying, "He is exactly right. There is no safe place to turn around until you get to that gravel part" along the street.

Johnson said the drawings may not reflect the exact location of the gate.

She asked how many bids were received. Johnson said the total number of bids narrowed. They asked three companies to provide bids on the system and received only one. She said she was told that there is updated technology that is $100,000 less.

In response, Johnson said that if there had been a cheaper bid for the same type of system, he would have proposed approving the lower bid.

Spencer asked if the local installer or TAPCO would provide service and repairs because a long wait on a repair means motorists must take a long way around to get in and out of their neighborhood.

Johnson said the city has a signal technician who could provide some repairs, but if that wasn't possible, the city would next contact Joplin Industrial Electric, the local provider. If it is an unusual problem that the local company could not fix, the city then would have to call TAPCO.

The council vote was 5-4. The city attorney, Peter Edwards, said that because the measure was proposed as an emergency ordinance for immediate approval, it would remain on the agenda for the next meeting for second and third readings.