OUR VIEW: Bridges—let the buyers beware

Hey taxpayers, wanna buy a bridge?
Whether you want to or not, you may be doing just that if a plan proceeds to build a hiker footbridge across Interstate 77 in Bland County.
In an article last Wednesday, an Appalachian Trail Conservancy representative detailed the estimated $600,000 project that would transport pedestrians across the highway somewhere between Brushy Mountain and Bland.
Right now, Appalachian Trail hikers use the Kimberling Road bridge to cross the interstate. The footpath leaves the woods at the top of Brushy, crosses U.S. 52 and then follows Kimberling Road for a bit before going back into the forest.
Bridge backers apparently believe that the current route is too dangerous for vulnerable trekkers.
“It’s not unusual to have foot bridges across interstates or major highways,” said Laura Belleville of the ATC. “There are several in the Mid-Atlantic region including one across the James River in Virginia.”
“It will eliminate walking along so much of Route 52,” Bland County Administrator Jonathan Sweet said of the pedestrian bridge proposal.
We’ll concede that the brief hop, skip and a hike along Route 52 probably isn’t the best way to get someone on foot back to the woods, but we can’t recall any mishaps at the site. The same can’t be said of the snakes, bears and sometimes murderous psychopaths who surround the AT along its 2,000-plus-mile length.
While we have no problem with private funds being used for the bridge, we question the wisdom of using tax dollars – likely federal highway enhancement dollars at that – to build this span.
Quite frankly, considering our national debt and the state of our economy, we’d say that an unnecessary bridge in Bland would be the worst possible use of our public coffers. There are roads to fix, police to pay and wars to win.
Although we love the fact that Bland County’s part of a storied walkway that stretches from Georgia to Maine, we aren’t too infatuated with using funds confiscated from the public to remedy a situation that really doesn’t need remedying.
Hikers are used to taking risks. Typically, they’re hardy souls unfazed by the occasional brush with danger and inconvenience.
As such, we think they’ll be just fine crossing a bridge that sees little vehicle traffic and has plenty of room for walkers, drivers and the occasional opossum or skunk.
Consequently, unless Congress develops and designates a special hiker-only tax on trekking poles, instant noodles, scruffy beards and backpacks, the bridge idea should be scrapped.
Like that prime piece of Florida real estate, we just ain’t buying it.