Residents demand action as safety concerns grow over Gillespie Bridge Road

BOONE COUNTY, Missouri (KMIZ)

Some residents along Gillespie Bridge Road are raising concerns about their safety and calling on Boone County to take increased precautions during severe weather.

Last week, Iveta Thayer and her husband were swept away in their car by floodwaters above Gillepsie Bridge Road. Iveta’s husband, David Thayer, was rescued from the car, but Iveta remained trapped. Their vehicle and Iveta Thayer’s body were recovered two days later. She was 81 years old.

Courtney Diya, a resident of Perche Ridge, said she and her family recently moved to the neighborhood from California and didn’t realize how dangerous the flooding on Gillespie Bridge Road could be. She said the recent death has raised concerns.

“We just don’t want anyone to get hurt, there are families here. Also, we just want to be safe while driving and not worry about getting swept away,” Diya said.

Anna Langworthy, another Perche Ridge resident, believes more needs to be done to educate people about flood risks in the area.

“There are people who may not realize the risk they’re taking by moving in here,” Langworthy said. “Because we don’t get a written document saying, ‘Hey, you’re moving into a flood zone.’ So I think more could be done.”

According to Bill Florea, Boone County’s resource management director, about 3,000 vehicles per day will travel on Gillespie Bridge Road by 2023. That’s an increase of 700 cars per day from 2013 data, when 2,300 cars crossed the bridge daily.

On Friday, when Iveta Thayer’s body was recovered, ABC 17 News spoke with Scott Mullins, who also lives on Gillespie Bridge Road. He said at the time he would like to see a better warning system, but as the area continues to grow, a change may be necessary.

“I live right there and I don’t really want that road to be so busy. But if it ever gets that busy, the only solution I can see is to build a bridge from the current bridge to Coats Lane, an 800-metre bridge,” Mullins said.

ABC 17 News asked Florea about the possibility of extending the bridge itself to Coats Lane.

“I don’t know if it would ever be worth it on a cost-benefit basis,” Florea said. “I don’t know if it would ever be considered. As far as I know, it has never been officially addressed.”

Florea explained that he lives in the Gillespie Bridge area and that flooding there was a causal factor.

“If the road is flooded, it’s just a temporary inconvenience. People can drive around. I live in this area, I have to drive around. Sometimes I don’t like it, but that’s, you know, just part of life there,” Florea said.

On Wednesday, Mullins expressed his willingness to take safety measures into his own hands the next time the street floods.

“Maybe I could call the county or go out there myself and pull the barriers out to give people a little more warning when they come over that hill,” Mullins said.

Diya said she hoped all possible safety measures would be taken before more land was developed and more people moved into the area.

“This is a major safety hazard, not only in the summer months but also in the winter, so it would be nice if they fixed this before they start building more and then attracting more families,” Diya said.