Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
May 6, 2015 In the state of Western Australia (WA), a bridge in the suburb of Maylands was officially opened. (Maylands is about 2.8 miles [4.5 kilometers] northeast of Perth, the capital city of WA.) This vehicular bridge carries Seventh Avenue in Maylands over both a segment of the Midland line, a suburban rail service... Continue Reading →
May 4, 1724 In central France, an arch bridge in the present-day prefecture and commune of Blois was formally opened. The structure, which spans the Loire river, was built to replace a stone bridge that dated back to the 11th century and destroyed by massive ice floes in February 1716. Construction on the replacement bridge... Continue Reading →
April 30, 2011 In the central region of Iowa, a paved recreational trail between the cities of Ankeny and Woodward was formally opened with considerable fanfare. The final portion of this trail to be completed was a bridge crossing the Des Moines River and located near the city of Madrid. The High Trestle Trail, which... Continue Reading →
April 21, 1991 An extensive tourist route in Denmark was formally opened by Margrethe II, who reigned as the country’s queen from 1972 until her abdication in 2024. The route that she helped dedicate was named after her favorite flower, a type of daisy known as the Marguerite flower. (Margrethe’s nickname among her family and... Continue Reading →
April 15, 1909 The Unione Sportiva Italiana (USI), which is now one of the oldest cycling clubs in existence in the United States, was formally incorporated in the state of New York. The English translation for the club’s name is “Italian Sporting Union,” and it is generally acknowledged that the founders of this group in New... Continue Reading →
April 2, 1966 In the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW), a dedication ceremony was held for a prestressed concrete box girder bridge carrying Warringah Road (now part of the route known as A38) across Middle Harbour. This six-lane, high-level structure is called the Roseville Bridge. Measuring 1,237 feet (377 meters) in length, it... Continue Reading →
March 24, 2011 The Arganzuela Footbridge in the central area of Madrid, Spain, was opened to the public. This bridge, which took about 14 months to build, serves as a link between the Arganzuela and Carabanchel districts of Spain’s capital and most populous city. French architect and urban planner Dominique Perrault (born in 1953)... Continue Reading →
February 12, 1938 A truss bridge built in the Montopolis neighborhood of Austin, Texas, in Travis County was dedicated during a Saturday ceremony. The next day’s edition of the Austin American reported, “The huge span of smooth concrete and shiny steel was constructed to replace [an] old iron bridge washed out by the flood of... Continue Reading →
February 3, 2008 Bicycle mechanic and expert Sheldon Brown died in the Boston-area city of Newton, Massachusetts, at the age of 63. Brown was the parts manager, technical consultant, and webmaster for a bicycle shop near where he lived, but his formidable expertise and interest in both vintage and contemporary bicycles earned him acclaim that went... Continue Reading →
January 20, 1995 A cable-stayed road bridge in northwestern France’s Normandy region first went into service. The Pont de Normandie (Normandy Bridge) spans the river Seine and connects the commune of Honfleur with the major port city of Le Havre. This bridge has the distinction of being the last bridge to cross the Seine before... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 