Simpson Road Bridge

Wanted to comment on the Simpson Road Bridge agreement but was asked to wait until the item came up on the agenda.

A caller described how vital the bridge is to their family — eight trips a day to school and work — and calculated $100/week in extra fuel costs if it closed.

A neighboring farmer who's watched the bridge erode for six years called it 'code red' — an emergency — and urged riprap and channel clearing before winter.

A civil engineer argued gravel removal is not a proper emergency fix without hydraulic studies and warned it could cause more scour or bank damage on the other side.

A Simpson Road resident objected to the scale of extraction — up to 220,000 cubic yards — estimating 25,000-30,000 truck trips would damage roads and create safety hazards.

Asked whether diverting the creek to the south side would jeopardize the other bank, and suggested a one-year trial rather than a five-year deal.

A caller said the gravel removal would cost at least $2 million and called it 'a blank check and no plan.'