OPINION - Editorial

Read the sign

"Sign, sign, everywhere a sign

Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind

Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?"

--Five Man Electrical Band

(not Tesla)

Signs serve many purposes, ranging from advertising products to showing how creative some protesters can be. But perhaps their most important purpose is guiding drivers on how to operate their vehicles.

When you're barreling down Interstate 40 at 75 miles per hour, signs tell you how soon Russellville is coming up, what restaurants are available right off the highway, when mowers are working, and more. We have a whole section about signs on the written test to get a driver's permit.

A video revealing a bus crossing the historic Arkansas 187 Bridge at Beaver went viral over the weekend. It shows a large bus (not of the school variety) causing the Little Golden Gate Bridge of Arkansas to bend in a scary way.

This is a problem, because KFSM reports the bridge's weight limit is 10 tons, and the bus that crossed weighs around 35 tons. Journalists aren't always good at math, but we're pretty sure 35 is more than 10.

Now the bridge is closed for inspection as state highway officials look over the structure for damage. More from KFSM:

"The bridge has required temporary closures since early October due to scheduled routine maintenance. ArDOT engineers called for the closure to look at the bridge after receiving results of an inspection of the bridge. Until that review is complete, the bridge will be closed. ArDOT's spokesperson Danny Straessle [said] highway officials are not sure if the damage was done by the bus or not; they are working to determine when damage to the bridge actually happened."

We've got enough infrastructure problems in Arkansas without overweight buses driving on bridges built before 1950. And if it's determined that the bus damaged the bridge, send the bill to the company that owns that bus. When it comes to highway money, our budget's a little tight at the moment. Next time, read the sign.

Editorial on 10/18/2018

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