RECENT INCIDENTS RENEW EXPECTATIONS FOR BRIDGE

The Mississippi River Bridge at Cape Girardeau, due for replacement this decade, has been judged structurally sound but functionally obsolete. At least two recent incidents have spawned for us an increased understanding of this latter description. A double-fatality accident and another near-fatal mishap have occurred on the bridge within the last nine days. While these accidents might have taken place at any location, there is certainly reason to speculate that this aging, narrow bridge was at least a contributing factor. We are pleased that the effort to replace it remains in motion.

Last weekend, two Cape Girardeau residents died as the result of a three-car accident on the bridge. The wreck began when the victims' car strayed across the center line into the path of an approaching vehicle. In another instance, two semi-trucks, traveling in opposite paths on the bridge, smacked their side mirrors together, sending pieces of glass into the carotid artery of one of the drivers. Only the quick action of an off-duty hospital employee, Candy Tucker of Olive Branch, Ill., kept this from becoming another fatality.

Again, no bridge is accident-proof. Cars will stray from their intended paths on any route, and drivers will occasionally show insufficient care in their efforts. Still, today's vehicles and traffic volume are not suited to the slim boundaries of this 64-year-old bridge, and the presence of heroism can not always be counted on to remedy the mishaps. What is needed is a new bridge, one that gives motorists the best opportunity for safety traversing the Mississippi River. True, what is needed in the meantime is special care by motorists using the bridge, but the long-range enhancement is still only portrayed on budget sheets and conceptual drawings. The Missouri Department of Highways and Transportation, which is directing the project, will surely forgive us some expectation in wanting to see this enterprise move along.

The existing bridge opened when Calvin Coolidge was president and served this region well, hastening the economic growth of Cape Girardeau and providing a great many opportunities. But we are pleased a new bridge is in the works. The dangers of the current span have been renewed in our minds.