Residents protest bridge in Kent

Published 2:27 pm Thursday, November 3, 2011

Around eight members of the organization Working Washington dressed up in costumes Halloween day to protest against the state of a bridge crossing over Green River.

The group stood on the side of South Third Avenue yelling for drivers to honk as they passed by in support of their argument.

“This bridge is dangerous because it is structurally deficient,” said Debra Mayo-Kelley, a protestor. “We want people to take notice and do something about this.”

The group claims the bridge that bears traffic of nearly 3,000 cars a day is deemed structurally deficient by the Washington State Federal Highway Administration, but no plan to fix the situation has surfaced.

A Federal Highway Administration spokesperson could not be reached.

“We want our political leaders to invest in our community and improve our infrastructure,” said Nathan Jackson, a protestor. “Building this bridge would not only add safety for our drivers, but it would offer jobs for local people out of work.”

Jackson said the group wants to nudge Congress to consider fixing America’s bridges, roads and transit systems.

“There are places in our community where jobs can be created; this bridge is just one example,” said Vanessa Godfrey, a protestor.

The protesters said they planned on staying outside until late afternoon, rain or shine.