The Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower in Hartford will be closing temporarily but faces a dire financial future. (Photo courtesy of Village of Hartford)

Just as the annual fall tourism season comes to Metro East’s Great Rivers National Scenic Byway, the Village of Hartford is suspending regular visitor hours at its Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower —  one of the region’s most prominent attractions — due to financial problems.

And the fate of the facility remains very much in doubt, village officials say.

The 200-foot tower, at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, is widely regarded as a prime location for the eagle-watching and fall-foliage-viewing that draws thousands to the Mississippi Riverbend region each autumn.

However, Hartford village officials say admission fee revenues are simply proving insufficient to cover operating expenses at the tower.

And the village — itself beset by its own financial problems — can no longer afford to cover the tower’s operating deficits, they say.

The final day for regularly scheduled public access at the tower this year was Sunday, Oct. 15, according to village officials.

Regular public visiting hours will be suspended through at least the fall and winter months, village officials add.

However, tower access continues to be available for tours, small groups, and individuals by appointment, they emphasize.

The Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower is a prime location for eagle-watching in the Mississippi Riverbend region each autumn and winter. (Photo courtesy of city of Alton)

They also emphasize that that they hope to reinstate regular public viewing hours at the tower, in some fashion, sometime next year.

A decision on the tower’s future will likely be made in the spring as the village board prepares the budget for Hartford’s next fiscal year.

Opened May 14, 2010 to commemorate the bicentennial of the Lewis & Clark Expedition, the Confluence Tower is designed to offer visitors a spectacular view of the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, where the two famed explorers launched journey west.

The tower’s three observation decks — at 50, 100 and 150 feet — offer views up to 19 miles away. Exhibits on the historic expedition are offered on the ground.

The tower, at Illinois Route 3 and New Poag Road, marks the southern end of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway, — one of seven federally designated scenic highways in Illinois — which extends north along a 33-mile stretch of the Mississippi River bluffs, through Alton to Pere Marquette State Park in Grafton.

“The Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway is unique because of the significance of the three rivers meeting within 25 miles of each other, the Mississippi, Missouri and Illinois. The confluences of these three rivers have attracted people to the area for centuries and have shaped the lives of people in Southwestern Illinois for thousands of years,” the tower’s website explains.

Eagle migrations along the river each spring and fall help to make the scenic highway one of the St. Louis region’s more popular seasonal tourist destinations. The tower was conceived by a grassroots citizens group as part of the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Celebration. The village purchase land for the tower.

Construction costs were covered largely through a fundraising campaign. The tower is staffed by volunteers when possible.

However, the tower lost $65,000 in 2016 with losses averaging $59,000 annually over the past six years, according to village officials.

Meanwhile, the Hartford is struggling to provide basic services; cutting back on salary expenses for village workers and even reducing nighttime lighting.

Tower revenues come from a basic admission fee of $6, with discounts for children, older adults, the military veterans and groups of 12 or more.

Village officials say they hope to eventually reopen the tower; perhaps on weekends or with limited weekday hours.

In the meantime, visitors can make reservations to access the tower by calling the village office at (618) 251-2680.

Hartford’s decision to suspend regular visiting hours at that tower last week, came, ironically, just as the Illinois Departments of Transportation (IDOT) announced special steps to address safety concerns, posed by the marked increase in traffic along the Great Rivers Byway each fall.

Each year, thousands of visitors, including numerous bicyclists and motorcyclists, as well as motorists who are new to the area, noted Illinois Transportation Secretary Randy Blankenhorn.

The narrow stretch of the byway between Grafton and Alton, known as the Great River Road, can be particularly busy and challenging to navigate, he adds.

For the second year in a row, IDOT has placed digital message signs along the narrow, shared roadway, to remind motorists and cyclists to reuse caution. Last year, IDOT made several safety enhancements along the roadway, including freshly painted pavement markings and bike trail symbols.

Illinois State Police and local law enforcement are stepping up enforcement in the area, IDOT adds.

— Lewis and Clark Tower at Missouri, Mississippi rivers suspends sightseeing season  —