PEMBROKE BRIDGE SHOULD BE PRESERVED

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, February 23, 1992                   TAG: 9202210049
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
PEMBROKE BRIDGE SHOULD BE PRESERVED
I am grateful to the Roanoke Times for bringing the Pembroke bridges to the public's attention. I would stress to your readers that this remarkable scenic landmark, if [the state Department of Transportation's] plans go as scheduled, has only one year before its site is irrevocably altered, and two years before its removal.
I have never suggested that the old bridge should not be replaced, only that if the new one is built at the right location the old one can become a footbridge and an attraction unlike any other in Giles County.
Scenery . . . in most cases consists of a single element like a waterfall or a vista. At the old bridge in Pembroke there are three: the New River, the bridge itself and Castle Rock.
In our area, the best scenic spots . . . like the Cascades, Dragons Tooth and Buffalo Mountain usually require a long walk. They are never accessible to those who can't negotiate a steep or rough trail. The old bridge in Pembroke is without these restrictions. Anyone who can walk (or wheelchair) 100 yards can, in a few minutes, cross the old bridge and enjoy its scenery.
Those with more energy can hike up Castle Rock in about 10 more minutes. The park-like potential of this old bridge and its location is obvious to anyone who takes the time to walk across it.
I do not suggest that the old bridge should be rehabilitated This would not correct its deficiencies for modern highway use. It would still be one lane, with a 10-ton weight limit, and there would still be a railroad grade crossing at one end.
From my research into the choices for replacing the old bridge, it is clear that the site currently in favor, upstream and immediately adjacent to the old bridge, is inferior to another site farther downstream.
The downstream site would eliminate the railroad grade crossing, tie directly into U.S. 460 and eliminate traffic through a residential area of Pembroke.
If present plans proceed, the new concrete-slab bridge only 50 feet upstream will cut off the old bridge from Castle Rock on one end and the old ferry landing on the other, and will probably subject its foundation to severe erosion.
In this case there's really nothing left to do but demolish the old bridge, as the Department of Transportation plans to do.
I would propose that the old bridge remain within the Department of Transportation as a scenic wayside, like the Humpback Bridge wayside near Covington. This would resolve the immediate problems of liability and maintenance and would provide enough time to arrive at a permanent recreational use for this remarkable antique bridge and its beautiful location.\ Bill Richardson\ Blacksburg

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB