The Stone Arch Bridge is closed

[pegkerr]

Here's an extremely helpful map, showing the bridges crossing the Mississippi in Minneapolis and St. Paul. If you look at the branch of the river that runs between Minneapolis and Hennepin county, you will see two black markers close together with an orange marker between them. Those two black markers are the St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dams, and the orange line between them is the Stone Arch Bridge that I walk every day.

The next green marker to the right of the Lower St. Anthony Lock and Dam is the 35W bridge, the one that collapsed.

I went out for my usual midmorning walk toward the Stone Arch Bridge, only to find that it is closed, I suppose to deter gawkers looking down the river toward the collapsed 35W bridge. The policeman said it will be closed for several days, "but perhaps longer." There were huge crowds walking along the river road past the Mill City Museum and the Guthrie to get a closer look. It's a beautiful day to go look at a disaster.

I entirely understand why the Stone Arch Bridge is closed. But I felt disappointed nonetheless. Not because I wanted to crane my neck to look at the remains of the 35W, watching avidly to see divers pull bodies out of cars, you understand. No, the Stone Arch Bridge has been my place of healing, and my daily walks over it my spiritual practice and meditation. I needed to take up that broken thread of normality, to walk back across the river and stand there high above the thunder of the falls, seeing the gulls wheel over the waves.

To find the Mississippi friendly and make it mine again.

[Click that link that I've placed on the Stone Arch Bridge and scroll down the page and you'll see some excellent pictures of what my daily walk looks like.]

Comments

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

It is possible that a great-uncle of mine worked as an engineer on your Stone Arch Bridge -- he helped design several bridges over the Mississippi River, and the time frame is right.

[musicbearmn.livejournal.com]

Hey there....was downtown at meetings this morning, and have a little better pic of things. The Stone Arch Bridge is where they are having a lot of the press things, so hopefully it will get open sooner. I went out on the Guthrie bridge and looked at the scene...it is so surreal and sad to see.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

"I entirely understand why the Stone Arch Bridge is closed." Explain it to me, because I do not.

K. [if you would be so kind]

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

To keep rubberneckers away from the entire area. A forlorn hope though. There were tons of people walking along the river road today.

Actually, my real theory is that they're keeping people away because the troll that used to live under the 35W bridge has now taken up residence under the Stone Arch Bridge.

(Don't laugh. I've actually been thinking about writing the story of the troll under the Stone Arch Bridge for about a year now.)