The Five Bridges

Waterford, NY
42 47.26 N 073 49.80 W

I must admit to a touch of nostalgia as we pass through this region. Today we passed under five consecutive bridges; each of which was my primary work commute path over the years. The 890 Bridge, the Scotia Bridge, Freeman's Bridge, Rexford Bridge and The Twin Bridges on I87. Four of the five bridges are in Schenectady County. Both Libby and I have crossed each of those bridges countless times.

There are many places where a river cuts through an urban area. The few bridges that exist tend to become big traffic bottlenecks, and thus figure prominently in the memory of commuters who pass that way. It also has the effect of causing a split in culture between those who live on one side of the river compared to those on the other. Think of the famous bridges and tunnels connecting Manhattan Island and those in San Francisco Bay. They loom so important that they become part of the culture of the entire nation, not just the locals.

I think of the Jordan Bridge between Norfolk and Portsmouth Virginia. Libby and I knew that bridge only from the boater's point of view. It was old and clunky and a major obstacle for us to pass. No doubt it was an even bigger pain to the far larger number of motorists. Last year the Jordan Bridge was razed. We boaters cheered hooray. I'll bet that many more Norfolk area residents groaned in agony.

p.s. We locked through Lock 7 together with The Grand Erie. See the picture below. She is certainly grand.

We have been meeting the Grand Erie up and down the canal for the past month. She is a floating hotel for canal workers. She has a galley, a cook, a lounge, and a private room with TV and AC for each employee on board. She moves up and down the canal to the sites of working projects. In Amserdam last weekend we saw her getting what must be the 5,000th coat of paint.

Today, she passed us doing about 8 knots. That means she must pack a lot of horsepower under the hood.

From Drop Box