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| We need a bridge! |
It’s time for another guessing game here on Save Briggs Road! Which of the river crossings shown below have escaped condemnation by the powers that be?
1. It is not unusual for a culvert-based crossing to wash out during a period of heavy rain. This photograph depicts the remains of such a crossing. Prior to the washout, what was the status of this crossing?
2. This bridge enjoys a bit of notoriety for its novel
construction. It features the traditional culverts, with a garnish of railroad ties marinated in creosote. The crossing has gone the way of all
such structures after a heavy storm, with the culverts slipping and rolling downriver, and the
railroad ties steeping in the wet sand.
3. Is there such a thing as over-building a crossing?
4. Here vehicles cross over the frothy flood via a railroad car bed.
Note the safety railing at the sides.
5. This
picture was taken during construction of a culvert bridge, four days after its
predecessor was wiped out. (We've been waiting almost ten years for the privilege.)
6. Is it more environmentally sound to anchor the culverts in
concrete, or is it better to allow the swollen river to push aside all
obstructions? We know of a case where the river undermined a concrete barrier
and left it buried forever at the river bottom.
Another View
Now for the scoring. If you judged only one of these bridges
to be allowed to stand until the next flood, you get only one point, for not
understanding how things work in Soledad Canyon.
In fact, however many of the bridges you judged to escape
censure by the authorities, that is your score. Yes, the perfect score on our
quiz is six. Not one of the photographs presented here represents a forbidden
crossing.
What, then, constitutes a forbidden crossing? A crossing to
be used by the residents of the Briggs Road Community is, by some strange
definition, in violation of the edict set by the people-in-charge. We are not
aware of any other type of crossing to run afoul of the authorities.
You may have noticed that I did not divulge the location of any
of these bridges. That is because it is not our wish to have any of them or
their descendants condemned. The point is this: What’s the Big Deal? If every
one of these bridges is allowed to stand until Mother Nature takes it out, what
is so special about a crossing accommodating the Briggs Road Community? Over
the years we have cooperated in the creation of several such crossings, none
worse than the worst on display here.
One last thought: Allowing the Briggs Road Community to cross
the Santa Clara River benefits every single party involved in this struggle, be
it a governmental agency or private interest—assuming that each is being honest
about its intentions. I am not at liberty to spell out each of those benefits,
but certainly there is no harm in suggesting what a bundle of good will and
good press would settle on the shoulders of every involved member of Supervisor
Michael D. Antonovich’s staff.
It should be all right to point out that
re-opening the much shorter access to Soledad Canyon Road takes our traffic off of the many more miles that run directly through Conservancy holdings.
And surely there is
no need to mention the importance of having a secure and reasonable access
route for Briggs Road residents. That's only right.
