What makes it special

Some more thoughts on bridges that are, or are not, as the case may be, identified as deadly by signage placed upon their spans. Upon reviewing my footage of the Delaware green monster, I noticed that its crisis hotline info is placed on the lane signal signs above the roadway. Probably as there is no place to put them on the railing, given its open design. Most big bridges do have these signs, in one form or another, as well as emergency phones. Even the boring, run of the mill and shorter newly built Harry Nice Bridge in southern Maryland has them. But there is one monster bridge that lacks these, and I think I’ve figured out why. That one is West Virginia’s rusty metal monster, the New River Gorge Bridge. By unofficial accounts it is well into the top ten ranking of bridges in the US that have facilitated many deaths. It likely only falls behind the trifecta of epic bloodshed hot spots, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Coronado Bridge and the ever infamous Sunshine Skyway Bridge. All of those monsters bear the warning signs of a truly lethal structure. But the monster that spans the New River is untamed. No signs, no phones, and no barriers to separate it from its victims. The official reason given for the lack of emergency phones is the monster’s location, which is truly remote. So that one sort of makes sense. The lack of barriers is explained by the fact that installing such would alter and ruin the appearance of the bridge. And this bridge is also on the National Register of Historic places. Any such structure or location that is thus included can be very difficult or impossible to modify with regards to appearance, assuming the owner of the structure plans on keeping it so listed.

But then there are the lack of signs. That seems rather puzzling, as cell phones work fine in the area, and most everyone has one these days. I have an idea why there are no signs, and it has everything to do with this bridge being a core part of the state’s tourism.

Kind of like in the movie “Jaws”, where town officials refused to place any sort of signs to warn swimmers of a killer shark lurking just off shore. This reason for this was obvious – doing so would kill the summer tourism that the town depended on. The state of West Virginia is harboring a deadly bridge, but identifying it as such might impact tourism. The area below and around the bridge is now a national park, which is a huge economic boost for the area. But what if travelers were aware of the monster’s deadly and ongoing toll? Might rafters on the river worry about discovering the body of some poor soul who jumped the night before? What about hikers at the river’s edge? Authorities do not always find the bodies right away. In fact, one victim ended up in Ohio before her body was found! What about the tour I took across the monster’s underbelly? At the end they drive you back across the bridge, so you get a below and above look at the span. I could imagine someone asking the tour guide “Hey, what are those bright blue signs on the edge of the bridge?”. That would open a huge can of worms, to say the least. I guess the tour guide would have to fudge the answer, saying the signs were for drivers who break down on the bridge. Worse yet would be the annual Bridge Day, which happens every October to celebrate the opening of the bridge. On this one day, the monster becomes the world’s tallest thrill ride for BASE jumpers. Many people parachute down onto the shore of the river and some rappel down from the catwalk to the ground. But there are always plenty of onlookers, as the bridge is closed to traffic and spectators can wander around on the span. Having those crisis signs in place while hundreds of people are on the bridge might raise some eyebrows. Perhaps the powers that be don’t even want anyone to think that this epic bridge could be the site of so many self inflicted deaths. Out of sight, out of mind, I suppose, is the way. Nope, the ocean in the fictional town in Jaws was perfectly safe to swim. No sharks, no deaths, until they couldn’t hide it anymore….

Another thing to consider with regards to the deadliest bridges is that two of the top contenders have been more or less sidelined. Both the Golden Gate and Sunshine Skyway see far fewer deaths than they used to as both have been retrofitted in order to separate them from potential victims. Apparently the Coronado Bridge will eventually be taken out of the top ten, at least with regards to current statistics. Two of those have been handicapped in this morbid competition, and the other will be one day. Once that happens, that will leave the New River Gorge Bridge as one of, if not the top contender for deadliest bridge in the US. Possibly the only reason that it isn’t closer to the top is its location. It is only accessible by vehicle, and then it is a long drive from any highly populated areas. A potential victim must first know of its existence, as it is much more obscure than the Golden Gate Bridge and its evil Floridian distant relative. And then he or she must have the means to drive themselves or get a ride to the monster’s location. Those requirements alone would deter some from using one of West Virginia’s star attractions to end their lives. But that area is getting more publicity, especially with a portion of the surrounding land being made into a national park. First came the state quarter, which has an image of the metal monster embossed upon it. Then came the national park status, and now the state has placed an image of the bridge on its state Ids and drivers licenses. Back when the state quarters were issued, the monster was still mostly unknown, as the internet was in its infancy and it was harder to research things. My mom collected those quarters, and basically the image of the monster meant nothing to me, as it was just some old bridge. Or so I thought. One cannot help but wonder if the publicity for the bridge and the park might draw more jumpers. Already that rusty monster has lured victims from diverse locations, some hours, or even days away by car.

But there is something to be said about this umber hued iron monstrosity, in that in its current state it is evocative of its locale. It is untamed, rugged, and for some, dangerous and deadly. People also die while enjoying the park’s many activities, like rock climbing, rafting, swimming, hiking, etc. In fact, this park is one of the most deadly of the country’s national parks. It is in the top ten of that list. I have no idea if the fatalities counted include those whose intention was to die, or just those who suffered accidental deaths. Therefore, the monster is not unlike the nature that surrounds it. Also there is the juxtaposition of the civilized, man-made monster and the untamed natural wilderness. This is quite the contrast to most lethal bridges that reside in or very close to urban areas. In the latter situation, those bridges are morbid metropolitan metal and concrete monsters and fit well within their unnatural environment. And some are built to allow those on foot to cross, all the while presenting a greater opportunity for the unfortunate few to jump. Save for those bridges that have been fenced, barred, chained and walled off to deter jumpers. Very much like that which is often seen in big cities – fences, locked gates, barred windows and doors, all barriers designed to keep people out or away from certain places. The New River Gorge Bridge is a metal monster that inhabits a land that is still mostly natural. And it is a beast that is unchained and unaltered. Such a wild area is quite the unusual habitat in which to find such a massive and awe inspiring bridge. Perhaps that is one of the things that makes it so special.