We've pointed out previously that the Nevada Department of Transportation's recent beautification of the Spaghetti Bowl interchange in Las Vegas is rich with symbolism, albeit unintentionally. A pair of desert tortoise statues embody the agency's not-so-speedy responsiveness to Southern Nevada traffic problems. If the folks at NDOT really had a sense of humor, the tortoise mascots would have their heads tucked completely inside their shells.

Now Northern Nevadans have their own monument to NDOT efficacy, also unintentional but in no way humorous. Two towering columns rise from Galena Creek near Pleasant Valley, south of Reno. The project is Nevada's own "bridge to nowhere," part of a sparkling new, six-lane, Reno-to-Carson City highway being built from scratch through mountains. Rather than take a cost-effective approach and widen an existing stretch of U.S. Highway 395, NDOT is spending $350 million on four bridges and connecting roads that will be unusable to commuters until the entire project is complete.

That won't happen anytime soon. Construction of the Galena Creek Bridge is on hold indefinitely.

The bridge is designed to be 1,719 feet long and have a 690-foot arch. Among concrete arch bridges, only the Hoover Dam bypass bridge, under construction southeast of the Las Vegas Valley, would be longer.

The Galena Creek project's lead contractor, Edward Kraemer & Sons Inc., warned NDOT in April that high winds during construction could cause part of the bridge to "buckle and fail." Such a public works disaster would be unprecedented in Nevada. Documents obtained by the Reno Gazette-Journal showed the contractor urged NDOT to conduct a substantial redesign of the bridge.

Instead, on June 6, NDOT canceled its contract with Edward Kraemer & Sons. The state must find a new contractor to finish the job (if it can), and doing so is expected to cost taxpayers at least an additional $25 million.

"Kraemer was being alarmist, I believe, in their letters," said Richard Nelson, NDOT's assistant director of operations. "They were saying the bridge would collapse and fail, and clearly that's not the case."

What's most egregious here is not that the state had a disagreement with a contractor, nor that the final bill will be much higher than what the state originally promised -- it's that this project ever appeared on NDOT's wish list and cleared the floor of the Legislature. All of the state's most pressing highway needs are in Southern Nevada, a fact NDOT officials will readily acknowledge. Yet they continue to defend luxury projects for Northern Nevada on the flawed premise of "regional equity," which dictates that because Reno-area motorists pay into the state highway trust, they're entitled to capital expenditures regardless of whether they're necessary.

And now, amid this boondoggle and debate about how NDOT might collect more tax revenue to make up for an estimated $2.4 billion highway construction shortfall over the next eight years, NDOT has even more extravagance planned for Washoe County. A list of 10 "super projects" NDOT wants to complete over the next decade -- projects deemed absolutely essential -- includes three Northern Nevada projects that would cost almost $1 billion if built today. NDOT Director Jeff Fontaine admitted that if the 10 "super projects" were ranked based on need, the three Reno-area projects would most likely rank between seventh and 10th.

NDOT officials should seek an outside opinion on the viability of the Galena Creek Bridge design. If a contractor that once had the confidence of transportation officials is willing to walk away from tens of millions of dollars worth of work, the state should at least entertain the notion that it could be making another very expensive mistake.