W.Va. Gov. Patrick Morrissey has taken the oath, and he’s released his belief that the state budget now has a $400 million deficit somehow after Jim Justice told us about cash surpluses and tax cuts the past four years.
So, if our state’s financial reality somehow can flip so drastically simply with the change at the top of our state government, perhaps the future of the Wheeling Suspension Bridge can, too. We already know Jimmy Wriston is (thankfully) out as the Transportation Secretary and Morrissey has named Michael DeMers to replace him, so maybe now we can get a much more professional opinion on the options with the historic span.
Yes, it’s historic, and yes, a couple of idiot motor coach drivers almost collapsed it to the bottom of the Ohio River, but maybe it could be re-opened while the state designs and constructs a new span for much-needed access to Wheeling Island to protect against Fort Henry Bridge closures when significant accidents take place. And they do, frequently…