As the new Ironton-Russell bridge continues to take shape, many worked diligently to have multi-colored LED lighting up the bridge.

Once the numbers were run, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) rendered the decision that it was not financially feasible to make the change from the planned white-yellow lighting.

While we would have liked to see this feature come to fruition, we understand the logic behind the decision by ODOT. The estimates for the change came in at between $400,000-$500,000, and while that may not seem like a large amount in the overall 83 million dollar budget for the project, the funding simply was not available.

We applaud the efforts of all those who were involved in working to make the change happen, as it would have been a very nice added visual element. However, having a new bridge to replace the current Ironton-Russell Bridge that is now 93 years old is much needed.

Ultimately, we should not view this decision as a negative, but rather focus on the positive of finally seeing the bridge replacement project realized.

While the colored LED lighting would have been an aesthetically nice feature, having a new bridge connecting Ironton and Russell is a vital piece to the increased infrastructure of our area.