State Sen. George H. Bunting, who represents the area, is right to ask the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for assistance in determining what causes the holes around the pilings. It would be foolish to ignore them. This also is the right time to start planning for a second bridge over the inlet. Coastal development and traffic are not going to subside any time soon. With housing developments such as Americana Bayside scheduled for the Fenwick area, an additional span over the inlet soon will be a necessity.
Officials estimate that just the permit application process can take up to five years.
Design, financing and construction could take another five to eight years. DelDOT Secretary Nathan Hayward III should start the process now. Thoughtful speech President's program is ambitious, perhaps even overreaching President Bush's first address to a joint session of Congress was skillfully drafted and admirably delivered. The president hit the right themes on virtually all issues, but the specifics of his programs will require thorough scrutiny before adoption. That seemed lost on President Bush.