The scale of the earth moving project required to widen NC Hwy 221 near West Jefferson dwarfs these construction workers spraying an erosion-prevention cocktail on this freshly scrapped slope.

While we all recognize the need for expanding infrastructure to support growing population and expanding commerce, such massive projects to reshape the earth to our will come at a high price. We forfeit land and scenery for generations, and we yoke our communities to a perpetual tax burden for the maintenance, policing and pollution remediation of every new or expanded road project.

At the very least, the huge long-term costs of these projects should give us pause to research and debate lower impact alternatives.

Photo copyright Jim Magruder, all rights reserved.