Construction on the replacement for the Patullo Bridge has been underway for several years and was finally reaching the point where they were closing the old bridge. They had technically closed it to traffic for several days and it was open for bikes but they indicated they would leave it open for a few more days before permanently closing it and starting on the deconstruction. The final closure was February 17th but the weather looked better on the 15th so I got up early so I could get there before sunrise. I figured I'd get the best photos plus it might get busy later in the day.
Turns out I was right on both fronts. The lighting was perfect, the weather was perfect and it got so busy later in the day they had to have the police come for traffic control. When I got there, there was just a few people and there was a security car driving up and down indicating we shouldn't go on the road way. We of course ignored them and before I left they gave up trying. They eventually had to kick people off entirely because people were climbing up the bridge for pictures.
I wouldn't say I was sentimental about this bridge but I do have quite a few memories. It was on my commute to work so I biked over it dozens of times each year which was a unique experience. There is only a single sidewalk and there isn't room for two bikes so I always joke that one person had to hang over the edge to let the other pass. The bridge also had a lot of flex such that when large trucks drove past you could feel it shake. It was originally only a single lane and was widened to two but big trucks always took up both lanes for safety. The new bridge is two lanes each way and can expand to three and has some very nice bike lanes.
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