Lake Of The Ozarks Toll Bridge On Track For 2026 Payoff. But Could It Be Sooner?

LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. — Residents and visitors want to know: will “the toll bridge” ever be free? The organization managing the bridge says yes: in an interview on Aug. 23, Bridge Auditor Eric Faes said the bridge is still on track for a 2026 payoff. Once the bridge is paid off and any other liabilities are wrapped up, the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDot) is required to take-over the bridge and it will not have a toll.

For fiscal year 2022, the Lake of the Ozarks Community Bridge Transportation Development District had a net cash value of $3.7 million, according to an annual independent audit. In turn, $3.6 million was used to pay off bonds related to the project.

There is still $8.2 million to pay off for the liabilities, Faes said, and the good news is that traffic, and revenues, are accelerating. Faes said traffic has been increasing since COVID-19 shutdowns across the U.S. in 2020 drew significant national interest in the Lake of the Ozarks area. Faes says the last two years, the number of vehicles crossing the bridge has jumped from approximately 1.5 million (2020) to 1.9 million (2022) - about a 25% increase. He also reported a notable increase in the number of people who have also opened new accounts for prepaid toll cards since the pandemic.

Could the payoff be sooner than 2026? Faes is hesitant to make a prediction, but the uptick in traffic is a positive sign.

“Quite a bit of the day-to-day traffic is contractors, like mowers or plumbers,” Faes noted, adding, “The increase of new accounts from residents and contractors makes for a quicker trip through the bridge by scanning a barcode versus having to get cash out.”

Most of the operating expenses in 2022 went toward insurance, employee benefits, payroll, and the depreciation expense.

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 it opened in 1936… that’s about $8.50 in today’s dollars.)

Whether the bridge is paid off in 2026 or sooner, at that point, the district will pay off any other liabilities, close down the TDD, and hand off the bridge to MoDOT. Lake of the Ozarks Community Bridge Corporation Treasurer Joe Roeger emphasized MoDOT cannot (per the Missouri constitution) charge a toll on the bridge.

In other words, when the bridge is paid off, drivers will be able to cross it for free.