Don't close Bradenton-Palmetto bridges for special events, create gridlock

Why must the vast majority of the county's residents and visitors be forced to suffer intolerable inconvenience for the amusement and profit of a few?

I refer, of course, to the all-day closing of the Green Bridge on Feb. 6 for the Riverside Regatta fiasco. Those of us who regularly traverse the two Manatee River bridges are well aware of traffic congestion, back-ups, and slow-downs when both bridges are in service.

To try to funnel all traffic onto the DeSoto Bridge is unconscionable. It's a recipe for tie-ups of epic proportions that should be illegal.

By noon, southbound vehicles were backed up beyond 17th Street in Palmetto. It took me a solid hour to creep the three miles to Manatee Avenue. (Third Avenue was also closed.)

To make a terrible situation even worse, a funeral procession with three sheriff's cruisers as escorts was added to the mix.

Suppose a disaster occurred in the North River area. I dare say a St. Petersburg ambulance could reach the victims and transport them to St. Anthony's in less time than Manatee EMS could respond.

I favor special events, but not when it involves bringing normal traffic flow to a standstill.

Robert Leonard

Bradenton

This story was originally published February 11, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Don't close Bradenton-Palmetto bridges for special events, create gridlock ."