Memorial Bridge “repair” leaves something to be desired

I guess $7.25 million doesn’t buy much these days.

For those of us who head west for gas, commute daily for work or just want to escape the People’s Republic of Illinois, it’s great that both bridges are finally open for a better flow of traffic.

But the newly “repaired” Memorial Bridge isn’t the smoothest ride around.

It appears the joints that link each concrete section weren’t sealed, so there’s a pretty hard bump you’re going to hit every few feet. Now I don’t claim to be an engineer, but I would think that extra bumping can’t be great on a bridge that is near the end of its lifespan.

With a $100 million new bridge expected someday (probably about a decade down the road), this was obviously nothing more than a band-aid.

But it sure seems like for $7.25 million, the ride could be a little better.

J. Robert Gough is the Publisher and General Manager of Muddy River News