Heightening the fear

Earlier this evening as I was reading over some news stories, I came across something quite shocking, at least to me. The word on the street thus far, so to speak, has been that the new Key Bridge will be slightly taller than the old one. But oh no, it seems a little bit just won’t do – apparently the state has requested a bridge that would have a 230 foot clearance! And that height doesn’t include the road surface which will naturally be even taller, In addition, the towers would then be anywhere from 500 to 550 feet high! Worse yet, it will be even longer (by about seven tenths of a mile) than its predecessor. If these are indeed the final requirements that will be imposed on whichever contractor is chosen to do the job (and it seems they are), then a truly monumental monster will eventually rule over the Baltimore harbor.

Unbelievable! I can just see such an intimidating monstrosity looming over the harbor, its towers visible from much further away than the slain monster ever was. No wonder the state has asked the service that shuttles sufferers of gephyrophobia (the fear of crossing bridges) across the Bay Bridge to offer their services here once the new bridge is open. What a way to terrorize those stricken with such fears – just build a much taller and longer bridge! Of course, I know that the reason for doing so has nothing to do with inflicting psychological torture on such people. Rather it is to make room for larger ships to enter the harbor. But still, I can just picture it now, the Key Bridge 2.0….a towering terror forged in steel and cast in concrete, its main span soaring high above the Patapsco river. Its sinister form echoing the humped back of some gargantuan prehistoric creature emerging from the river, a demonic looking man-made dinosaur that will totally dominate the area. What a sight that will be! I know one thing – when this horror of the Baltimore harbor is complete and open to traffic, I can guarantee I will be going down there to check it out and drive across it. I have no idea what sort of excuse I will give my husband to want to make the trip, as I don’t do any business in that part of town. Well, luckily I’ve got roughly four years time to come up with a reason. Or perhaps I will just be able to sneak down there one day and have a look…