Drove the New 1st Ave. Bridge Today

Cutter's Log - Stardate 2102.92.60
Current Song - Changes (David Bowie)

I drove across the new section of the First Avenue Bridge between Sterling and Rock Falls today.

The lightposts look nice and the bridge is overly clean, which means it should be a sight to see at night once it's all done.

But there is a certain feeling that I will miss, after having crossed the old bridge for all of my life.

Coming from the Rock Falls side, there are certain bumps (which are connecting sections of the old bridge, but I call them bumps). These are like heartbeat sounds. There's that big bump when you get on the bridge. Then it's like a heartbeat: there's a little bump, followed by a big bump, followed by a little bump, followed by a big bump and so on - all at the same time gap.

Then, as you prepare to meet up with the big buildings on the Sterling side, there is a familiar sound that you hear up until you get to the 2nd Street stoplight. The sound is a low-sounding high-pitched one as you make your way down the bridge, and then the sound screetches upward as you make your way up at full speed.

20 years of feeling these beats and hearing the sound while crossing the bridge is going to be real odd now.