The bridge washed out.

Something has to be done.

OK, so WHAT shall we do?

This bridge on Antelope Creek Road in Pennington County, South Dakota has been in service for decades.  This year there was a highly unusual water runoff which has never happened before in the history of this bridge, taking the bridge a mile or so downstream.  Antelope Creek Road is an important county road to many rural users.  With the road closed, many people are unable to get were they need to go without re-routing  several miles.

The County Highway Department is busy working on a solution to the problem.  Therein lies the problem, in my opinion.  I have been told that they are preparing to install a large box culvert bridge in place of the old one.  Their plan requires a hydrology study and engineering to make sure the new bridge will handle the kind of water experienced this year.  I would venture a wild guess that they will spend a quarter of a million dollars, plus or minus.  It’s very nice of them to plan a reopening of Antelope Creek Road.

My question is, “Why do you need to spend so much money when there is a much less expensive solution?”

The solution ( in my humble, uneducated opinion) would be to create a Texas crossing, which would allow the infrequent high water to simply flow over the road and then return to normal levels.  In this case, Antelope Creek is a drainage which does not even run all the time.  I would imagine this kind of crossing could be built for less than $50,000.00, saving taxpayers a bundle of money.  Why isn’t this worth considering?

It’s a great example of why our country is in a big, fat financial mess.

It doesn’t fit the model of spending LOTS of taxpayer dollars.

***Gordon Howie is an author and CEO of Life and Liberty Media***

“It’s not about right or left, it’s about Right or Wrong.”

 

 

 

We need your help:

• Pray
• Make a small (or large) donation
• “friend” me on facebook for daily updates
• SHARE the articles on this site with your network