According an Aug. 3 Herald article, the Mark Clark Bridge linking Stanwood and Camano Island is obsolete because it is nearly 60 years old. I have photos that I took last year in Dunkeld, Scotland, of a stone, multiple-arch bridge that spans the wide River Tay, linking the communities of Birnam and Dunkeld. The date of construction is imprinted on the central arch: 1809. This bridge is nearly 200 years old, and while it has only two lanes, it still supports normal traffic, including large trucks.
I am sure there are many more examples in the British Isles and Europe of centuries-old bridges that are anything but obsolete. What is wrong with us, that with all our modern technology, we can’t build a bridge whose longevity can come close to those built hundreds of years ago?
Kathy Johnson
Marysville
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
