Last Friday, ribbon cutting ceremonies marked the official opening of four new bridges on the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Two bridges span the Lehigh River and two cross the Pohopoco Creek. Each has one-way traffic either north or south.The bridges are designed to last 75 years. They replace two bridges which were opened to traffic on Nov. 7, 1957.The two bridges that have been replaced were shut down. They will be demolished next year.This was a construction project done the right way, utilizing fares that people pay to use the toll highway. The price tag on the project was $101.6 million.There were four bridges built in a lot less time than it takes to replace one, much smaller, two-lane bridge in Jim Thorpe. which is the responsibility of PennDOT. Plans to replace this particular bridge have been discussed for years, with the groundbreaking date seemingly not much closer than it was a decade ago.You can't argue that the turnpike has tolls to finance its projects and PennDOT doesn't. The fact is, we pay heavy gas taxes to the state, with the original intent of such taxation being highway repair and maintenance - which includes bridge reconstruction.Even those vehicles using the turnpike pay taxes on gasoline, which come back to the state.As for the new turnpike bridge, the design is very impressive. The bridges have anti-graffiti paint on the piers. The spans are tapered with the safety of motorists involved.The egress to the new bridges from existing turnpike lanes is hardly noticeable.Several lawmakers at the ribbon cutting boasted how the new bridges will not only benefit the motorists who use them, but will assist the local economy in general. There's no question that good roads assist local economic development.State lawmakers might reevaluate how they utilize gas taxes and other motor vehicle revenue to improve our deteriorating roadways and bridges.If the Pa. Turnpike Commission can make such impressive improvements for motorists, state lawmakers should be able to more wisely spend the high gas taxes that motorists must spend each time they fill their tanks in Pennsylvania.By Ron Gowerrgower@tnonline.com