Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Farwell to the D Street Bridge


Built about 100 years ago, the D Street Bridge linked Rivermont Ave. to the historic Daniels Hill neighborhood. It was built when the major mode of transportation was the horse and buggy and the occasional automobile. The graceful arches tower about 150 feet above the ground and used to cast its shadow on a neighborhood of homes that have been gone for decades. Today the bridge is flanked by an army of bright yellow construction equipment. Like a military exercise, there is equipment to the north and south. A large piece sits at the bridge entrance and at the other end; the construction trailer sits where an army of workers plot the bridges destruction.


About 18 months ago during a routine inspection major cracks were discovered and it was determined not to be safe and it was closed. From a selfish point I hated to see it closed as this was the easiest and quickest way for visitors to The Carriage House Inn Bed and Breakfast to reach us. Simply turn off of Rivermont onto the D Street Bridge and you will arrive at our home on the corner of D and Cabell. Now visitors have to that a longer and less scenic route to reach us.


Saying goodbye is never easy, but like the mythical phoenix, from the ashes of the old bridge, a new one will emerge and open mid December 2010. We are already planning a bridge opening party tentatively scheduled for December 17, 2010.


Over the next 12 ½ months we will keep you posted (with photos) on the progress of the destruction of the old bridge and the construction of the new one.

No comments: