Another Troubled Bridge Over Water, But Without Water

Awhile back I posted about the horrific bridge leading to my home. Since then it has been fixed with a more stable, but still scary bridge with no guard rails.  Well  another bridge I drive over nearly everyday has drawn national attention.

The Dover bridge which crosses over a railroad on US Highway 2 heading from Sandpoint to Washington was built in 1937. Popular Mechanics listed it as one of "The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now" along with such powerhouses as the Brooklyn Bridge, Atlanta's Water System, O'Hare Airport, and Chicago's Interchange. Wow, lucky us.

More recently the bridge is to be highlighted on a History Channel show about the deteriorating infrastructure in the US. The show may be named "Crumble". That would be great.

What has been interesting is IDT's decision to fund projects based on reducing congestion and traffic rather than the unsafe bridge. In early January the Dover Bridge was taken off of the priority list because a lot of money was already being spent in the Sandpoint area for the new bypass. But then, perhaps due to the History Channel showing up, or because Idaho anticipates more money flowing in from the stimulus, the Idaho Transportation Board reversed it's decision and the bridge is back on the priority list. Who knows. Still, they have no plans for the bridge.   It is estimated to cost around $40 million however.  Until then, I'll just make sure I don't cross it while any log trucks are coming. Dying on a bridge is not how I want to go.

The Dover Bridge from the Bike Path