PRESTON, Md.- The safety of old bridges was on the minds of some people in Caroline County Tuesday.
A drowning on Sunday near the Poplar Neck Bridge has people asking for similar bridges on Maryland's Midshore to be fixed or even torn down.
Even though those small bridges which also include River Road and Back Landing are condemned, many people still cross them and use them when fishing or crabbing.
Lisa Werner of Denton said she refuses to take her family on bridges that show visible signs of deterioration.
"There are holes, the wood is weak it's very old and they are falling apart," Werner said. "So they need to be either replaced or just closed."
Back Landing is located on the Caroline and Dorchester county lines but Dorchester picks up the maintenance responsibility.
Tom Moore with the county's public works department said that even though the bridge is on schedule to be fixed, there is no money to accomplish that.
"They probably will never be rebuilt and there is no need to go on them or near them." said Larry Todd of Choptank.
"I think they ought to have a law passed that if you are on the bridge and are fishing or crabbing then you ought to have a life jacket on," said Roy Gouge of Denton.
Andy Garey with the Preston Volunteer Fire Company dive team said the best thing to do is to stay off of the bridges, but if people want to use them then they need to use proper safety precautions.
"They need to wear life preservers, life vests or even have a throw ring, "Garey said. "Or maybe we need to put throw rings on these bridges."
George Jamar, the director of the Caroline County Department of Public Works, said the department is withholding comment on what may be done with Poplar Neck Bridge since Sunday's incident near that bridge is still under investigation.
Jamar said River Road Bridge, which is on the north end of the county, is scheduled for a replacement but there is no money to do so.
