Large logjam in Neosho River causing concerns near Miami

MIAMI, Okla. - The US-60 bridge over the Neosho River in Ottawa County is still open after heavy rain and flooding created a logjam near Twin Bridges State Park. The logjam has created concern for the people in the Miami area living nearby.

According to a post on the City of Miami Facebook page:

At this time the City of Miami is not aware of any plans by ODOT, BNSF or GRDA to attempt to remove the debris, and there are no plans to close the bridge to traffic at this time. (An update will be posted if official closure is made.)

Officials tell us ODOT (Oklahoma Department of Transportation), BNSF - the railroad which has a bridge downstream toward the lake nearby, nor GRDA have responded with any plans to remove the debris.

In a Facebook video post on Wednesday, Bless Parker, the Mayor of Miami puts the blame squarely on the GRDA saying "this is a GRDA logjam. They're in control of this body of water and this is their mess. And this is their mess that they are passing the buck on to ODOT. They're telling ODOT you got to clean this up."

TJ Gerlach, a spokesman for ODOT, tells FOX23 that the bridge is still open as of Thursday. Bridge engineers with the department have inspected the structure and have found no issues currently affecting its integrity. This structure can withstand a buildup of drift much larger than presently exists.

ODOT engineers will continue to closely monitor the situation and will respond as needed should conditions warrant to ensure the safety of the public. The department is working with the Grand River Dam Authority and BNSF Railway to develop a plan. At this time the water levels must drop before any action can be taken to address the drift build up.