LAKE OZARK, Mo. — Crossing over the Lake of the Ozarks Community Bridge — aka "the toll" bridge — is finally free! No more searching your car for cash or having a prepaid card if you live on the west side.
A commemoration at JB Hook's on Tuesday, April 30, celebrated the successful completion of the Community Bridge project and the end of toll collection.Â
The ceremony highlighted the collaborative effort of the Missouri Department of Transportation and the Lake of the Ozarks Transportation Development District. It also included the introduction of dignitaries, a proclamation by the City of Lake Ozark Mayor Dennis Newberry, a presentation by the Missouri Highway & Transportation Commission, and a keynote address by Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe.
Lake Of The Ozarks Community Bridge Commemoration
Photos by Tegan Pasley
"We named it the Community Bridge originally in 1992 because it was going to combine the communities of the Lake of the Ozarks," said Joe Roeger, the treasurer for Lake of the Ozarks Community Bridge Corporation. "Not sure what the public will call it now. I understand from social media that it's going to be called 'the old toll bridge.'"
Roeger doesn't mind however.
"Other states have forever tolls," Roeger said. "Keeping that name reminds people of the origins and how the bridge came to be. It's a five decade story, and hopefully it won't soon be forgotten."
What Should The "Toll Bridge" Be Called Now That It's Free?
As of noon, April 30, 2024, the Lake of the Ozarks Community Bridge stopped collecting tolls. There's a few names floating around the Lake about what people will call it now...
The bridge represents a one-of-a-kind project in Missouri: the first and only toll facility developed under the Missouri Transportation Act of 1991, now paid-off. And that payoff came two years earlier than the TDD estimated.
When the bridge first opened, the toll was $2.50 during the busy season, and $1.50 in the offseason, with higher rates for larger vehicles. Now the toll is $3 in-season and $2 the rest of the year. For comparison, the old Hurricane Deck Bridge toll was 40¢ when that bridge opened in 1936: about $8.50 in today’s dollars.
While having to pay the very last toll may not sound appealing to some, it was actually part of the ceremony on Tuesday.Â
Joe Page, brother of Community Bridge Board member Mike Page, was working late back in 1998 when it first opened in May. That day it was free for drivers, but by midnight on May 2, collection would start.Â
He and his wife decided to be the first people to pay the toll, circling around until midnight on the dot. And they kept the receipt to prove it!Â
With the help of Lake Ozark police, the bridge was shutdown to ensure Joe Page would also be the last person to ever pay the toll.Â
The bridge has been a vital link for the Lake community, with over 35 million vehicle crossings since its inception. Read more about the history of this unique project in Missouri and what will happen to the bridge once it's paid off, below:
LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. — Will the toll bridge ever be free? Residents and visitors have ask…
Everyone's talking about it: the Lake of the Ozarks Community (Toll) Bridge payoff date was …
