Time has come to bury tunnel concept

We have been bantering back and forth amongst each other over the issue of safety on the proposed byway. The discussion always ends up with an eloquent dissertation by Steve Potter supporting his tunnel idea.

On Oct. 12, 2007, in Santa Clarita, Calif., two tractor-trailers collided in a 550-foot tunnel with 31 vehicles involved. The fire spread from vehicle to vehicle, sending flames shooting nearly 100 feet in the air outside the tunnel and reaching internal tunnel temperatures of 1,400 degrees. Two men and one infant were killed, with 10 or more others injured. Thank God, the tunnel was primarily used by trucks to lessen traffic on the freeway. I can't imagine what a nightmare it would be if all types of vehicles utilized the tunnel.

We can talk safety until the cows come home, but a tunnel is not the solution. Opponents tout that the byway as designed is "accident row" waiting to happen. I would rather take my chance on an open highway then be trapped and cremated in a tunnel.

The acrid smell of burned oil and rubber still linger in the air, and the tunnel is damaged and in need of major repair. It's one thing to pursue additional alternatives to complement the byway, and quite another to pursue a tunnel. Let's give this alternative a proper burial and not waste any more time on it.

LAURIE WADKINS

Priest River