With the Saturday storms having left the area, a gale of people swept across the Walnut Street Bridge on Sunday afternoon.
Hundreds of strollers and others were saying hello to one of the first breezy and sunny days of March and goodbye to the view from the bridge for the next 18 months.
As has been announced, the bridge – which has been reopened as a popular pedestrian bridge since 1993 --- is to close beginning Monday for major repairs and renovations.
Despite the obvious railroad tie-like roadbed in the middle that had pieces of wood missing and showed the obvious need for a little tender-loving care, the faces of smiling pedestrians and others dominated the scene.
People of all ages – from small babies being carried in their mother’s arms to senior citizens --were all enjoying the popular landmark that first opened to foot, horse carriage, and streetcar traffic way back in 1891 and has not been used by automobiles since 1978.
Visitors to the bridge Sunday afternoon included walkers, joggers, bicyclists, electric skateboarders, a person in a wheelchair, and even a group of dancers with headphones. Plenty of dogs – from small to large – were also seen contently crossing with their masters.
It was all a happy scene before such bridge-strolling activities will have to be moved to places like the newly opened lane on the Veterans Bridge until the fall of 2026.
* * *
Jcshearer2@comcast.net