The varied terrain of the Spokane area has required bridges of immense size and capacity over the last century and a half. The first Monroe Street Bridge was a rickety wooden structure soaring high above the river. Railroads had to use long bridges to cross the river valley at several places to keep the descents and ascents to a minimum. I was reminded of that when I traveled down Inland Empire Way this week. From south of the I-90 structure over Latah Creek, the audacious ideas of railroaders are illustrated by the train viaduct which carries trains on Spokane's west side. The train cars seem to hang in midair high above the car traffic on I-90. Similar gas autos and diesel trucks nearly put the railroads out of business in the middle of the 20th century, yet the traffic continues overhead through Spokane. Standing under the bridges reminded me how concrete allows humans to conquer the landscape of Spokane. 

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