"Can we forget about aesthetics for a moment and take time instead to savor the very real virtues of the new South Street Bridge?

When the Schuylkill crossing opens Saturday after a heroic, 23-month reconstruction, Philadelphia finally will have a downtown bridge that caters to all users - drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. The sidewalks are a decent width, the asphalt is as supple as velvet, and the white glyphs designating the roomy new bike lanes glisten like icing on a cake. The traffic lights are even being timed so people won't have to play chicken with turning vehicles.

Well, duh, you might be thinking, isn't that how city bridges are supposed to be built?

In theory, yes.

But..." 

Please click here for rest of Inga Saffron's Philadelphia Inquirer article.