Clark County’s Bridge Over Troubled Water

The head of a county-owned amphitheatre in Ridgefield, Wash., has made an appeal to local officials to build a bridge and fix the shed’s struggling balance sheet: if you build it, they will come.

To draw larger crowds to the Amphitheatre at Clark County, which sits south of the Clark County fairgrounds, an alternate route to the accident-prone Interstate 5 bridge must be provided, venue director Dan Braun said during a meeting with county commissioners, the Columbian reported.

“Somehow, there’s something unpleasant about that short drive, I think from (Interstate) 405 to Fourth Plain,” he said. “If we’re going to grow – if the county is going to be in the entertainment business – these infrastructure issues have to be addressed.

“I’m sure we are not the only company that feels this is a major hindrance to bringing customers up here.”

Braun, whose company built the 17,884-capacity shed and later donated it to the county, suggested that commissioners approve the construction of another bridge across a creek to extend a road that would provide a second route to get from the Interstate to the venue.

“A building like ours can be a major quality of life and economic value cornerstone,” he said.

During the meeting, Braun also discussed plans for a retractable wall that would make the venue more accommodating for smaller acts and extend the concert season by a couple months, the paper reported.

Upcoming shows on the books include Coldplay, Crüe Fest, Staind, Larry the Cable Guy and Nickelback.