Thanks for the recommendation, Dale. In his novel Winter Tale, author Mark Helprin writes about a fantastical bridge-building effort that, when completed, would stretch from New York City into the eternal cosmos. All I can say is, if you want to drive on the thing, try to beat rush hour. Bridges, it seems, have always meant more to their communities than the simple utility of giving people a convenient way to cross a river. Bridges are symbols, metaphors even, of the human impulse to connect with that which is greater or beyond or otherwise inaccessible. They are so freighted with metaphoric value that metaphors themselves have been called the bridge between a concept and its meaning.

As I see it, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge works the same way. Linking two key areas of the Puget Sound, it is a symbol of both economic prosperity and mutual dependence. The new extension that was christened this summer symbolizes the value we place on history. Rather than destroying the old bridge and replacing it with something new, a twin was built at its side and the two bridges are now yoked like a pair of oxen, each supporting the other. It’s hard not to drive across the bridge and contemplate the story of Tacoma that began long before I got here and will continue long after I’m gone. As such, this twin bridge does more than span two landmasses; it is also a vital link between the region’s past and future. All right. I’m through waxing poetic. I have to get my rear on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge before I’m late for work.

Josh

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