SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 58
(By Senator Facemyer, Unger and Hall)
Requesting the Division of Highways name bridge number 40-869-0.27
(4380) on Route 869 crossing the Kanawha River and U. S. Route
35 near Eleanor, Putnam County, the "Memorial Bridge" in
recognition of Johnathon David Higginbotham and the many other
persons who have lost their lives on U. S. Route 35 and W. Va.
State Route 62.
Whereas, Bridge number 40-869-0.27 (4380) on Route 869,
completed in 1998, crosses the Kanawha River near Eleanor, in
Putnam County, connecting U. S. Route 35, which follows the
southwest side of the river, with W. Va. State Route 62, which
follows the northeast side of the river; and
Whereas, U. S. Route 35 and
W. Va. State Route 62 are both
older designed two lane highways that
border the Kanawha River from
Pt. Pleasant through Mason and Putnam Counties and both highways,
particularly U. S. Route 35
, are heavily traveled thoroughfares,
traveled by a large number of tractor-trailers and other commercial
vehicles in interstate commerce; and
Whereas, During a ten-year time period from January 1, 1998,
through December 31, 2007, on U. S. Route 35 alone, 1040 traffic
accidents occurred between the intersection with W. Va. State Route
34 in Putnam County and the town of Henderson in Mason County, 29 of which resulted in 33 fatalities; one of the most tragic of those
accidents resulted in the untimely loss of Johnathon David
Higginbotham; and
Whereas, Johnathon David Higginbotham grew up in the Eleanor
and Midway areas of Putnam County, and he frequently crossed the
bridge and traveled U. S. Route 35 to visit his grandparents in
Pliny and to stay with his father
; and
Whereas, Johnathon attended Buffalo High School where he was
to be a starting guard on the basketball team for the upcoming fall
season; and
Whereas, on June 3, 2004, Johnathon crossed the bridge enroute
to his father's home, and while traveling on U. S. Route 35 just a
few miles from the bridge, Johnathon, at age 17, died in a tragic
collision with a tractor-trailer; and
Whereas, It is fitting that this bridge be named the "Memorial
Bridge" for Johnathon and the many other persons who have lost
their lives in accidents on U. S. Route 35 and State Route 62 to
honor and memorialize their passing, as well as to honor their
memory by families and friends as they cross the bridge; therefore,
be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to name
bridge number 40-869-0.27 (4380) on Route 869 crossing the Kanawha
River and U. S. Route 35 near Eleanor, Putnam County, the "Memorial Bridge" in recognition of Johnathon David Higginbotham and the
many other persons who have lost their lives on U. S. Route 35 and
W. Va. State Route 62; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Division of Highways is requested
to have made and be placed signs identifying the bridge as the
"Memorial Bridge"; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate is hereby
directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the Secretary of
the Department of Transportation and Johnathon David Higginbotham's
stepfather and mother, Jim and Vallery Withrow.