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Jody Watson's tragic death on the Brotherhood Bridge wasn't the first serious accident on that bridge, and it won't be the last. If ever a bridge in Juneau needed replacement, this is it.

Bridge too hazardous 123005 letters 3 JuneauEmpire Jody Watson's tragic death on the Brotherhood Bridge wasn't the first serious accident on that bridge, and it won't be the last. If ever a bridge in Juneau needed replacement, this is it.

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Bridge too hazardous

Letter to the editor

Jody Watson's tragic death on the Brotherhood Bridge wasn't the first serious accident on that bridge, and it won't be the last. If ever a bridge in Juneau needed replacement, this is it. The bridge has too many deficiencies: It's narrow, in poor repair, has no bicycle lanes and has inadequate separation between pedestrians and traffic. There are multiple busy intersections at each end of the bridge with a Vintage Park exit and Glacier Highway at one end, and Industrial Boulevard and the Brotherhood Trail at the other end.

As an interim measure, the state Department of Transportation should reduce the speed on Egan between Industrial Boulevard and Riverside Drive to 35 mph. That's a very short distance but will make all of those intersections far safer. Then consider tapping into our little $462M bonus transportation fund to replace this bridge with a safe, 4-lane version. I don't think the budget watchdogs down south will complain about this one.

Bob Deering

Juneau

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