Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
October 16, 1965 The Fitzgerald Bridge, which carries Seaham Road across the Williams River in the Australian state of New South Wales, was officially opened. This prestressed concrete bridge was named after Ray Fitzgerald (1879-1963), who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1941 to 1962. Measuring 862.7 feet (263... Continue Reading →
October 1, 1872 Henry Hooper Blood, who would earn widespread respect in the course of a high-profile career that included serving as chairman of the Utah State Road Commission – a predecessor of the present-day Utah Department of Transportation -- and president of the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO), was born in the... Continue Reading →
September 25, 1938 The big sports event in Washington, D.C., on that Sunday was without question the President’s Cup Regatta. This multi-day series of waterborne competitions had been introduced in the nation’s capital a dozen years earlier, and the annual event quickly became renowned for the motorboats and hydroplanes participating in a variety of races... Continue Reading →
September 24, 1973 Phra Pin Klao Bridge, which crosses the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, made its debut. This 2,158-foot (658-meter)-long structure serves as a link between the areas of Rattanakosin Island and Thonburi in Thailand’s capital and most populous city. Phra Pin Klao Bridge accommodates both motor vehicles and pedestrians. This bridge is located... Continue Reading →
September 18, 1981 Transit entrepreneur Francis Brunner died in Santa Monica, California, at the age of 81. He had been one of the pioneers of sightseeing bus tours along Southern California’s coast -- through a segment of the Santa Monica Mountains region and near the shoreline of the Santa Monica Bay -- and was pivotal in... Continue Reading →
September 10, 1932 In northwestern Massachusetts, a newly built bridge crossing the Connecticut River was opened. The French King Bridge serves as a link between the towns of Erving and Gill. This bridge was named after French King Rock, a nearby geographical feature. Approximately 15,000 people showed up on that Saturday for the inaugural festivities... Continue Reading →
August 29, 1998 A dedication ceremony was held for the Chief Standing Bear Memorial Bridge, which spans the Missouri River at the boundary between Nebraska and South Dakota. Approximately 3,000 people turned out for those Saturday afternoon festivities. The ceremony took place on the South Dakota side of that bridge and involved public officials from both... Continue Reading →
August 23, 1992 Gore Hill Freeway in Sydney, Australia’s most populous city and the capital of the state of New South Wales (NSW), was formally introduced to the public in a Sunday morning ceremony. That day’s edition of the Sydney Morning Herald reported, “The $27 million Gore Hill Freeway officially opens today, improving access to... Continue Reading →
August 16, 1993 In the central part of Finland’s capital city, a newly built station in the district of Ruoholahti was opened for public use. Ruoholahti metro station is served by lines M1 and M2 of the Helsinki Metro, the northernmost metro system in the world. This underground station was designed by architects Jouko Kontio... Continue Reading →
August 14, 2011 In northeastern Australia’s state of Queensland, a newly built bridge in the city of Mackay was officially opened. This road bridge, which crosses the Pioneer River, replaced another bridge that had stood at that location for about seven decades. The first of these two bridges was inaugurated on March 30, 1938, by... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 