Time Machine
The structure is visually impressive, indeed--shocking, in fact, to the unsuspecting traveler who motors casually along the most unpretentious of country roads. From the heart of Appalachian, all at once overhead, this Space Odyssey monolith of gargantuan proportions appears, then diminishes to the vanishing point, the future overshadowing the past.
You can read the impressive statistics of the bridges construction. The road it bears (two lanes only, probably for another ten years) goes nowhere. It ends abruptly at the horizon of the picture above. Before the project is complete, there will be a second bridge beside the first. I'm sure the valley residents are giddy with anticipation.
This is the "Smart Road"--Virginia Tech's future private driveway from the interstate. It impressed me as an opportunity for some well-heeled engineers to use the rural countryside to show off. Others must feel the same way, because when I mentioned this in a group the other day, one person reinforced my bias, saying "Oh yeah. That’s why the locals call it the "Smarty-Pants Road". But hey: for a mere $17 million dollars, it sure makes for an interesting photo composition, don't you think?
Comments
Chris,
I thought the EXACT same thing, and even kept reading this entry expecting to find "not!" in the last paragraph.
Smarty Pants Rd., hee.
Posted by: Lis | September 21, 2004 9:18 AM
no, i wouldn't want it for my neighbor, and yes, i think it's just another example of something we land use planners call "sightless-engineer-blight-on-the-landscape" ....a planner's nightmare, certainly. somehow, tho', Fred, you've managed to make it appear beautiful.
can you do a fredfirst screensaver image montage?
thanks, again, for being there.
peace, s.
Posted by: susannah smith | September 21, 2004 11:17 AM
I thought it was from a Sci-Fi movie!
Posted by: Kathy | September 21, 2004 12:13 PM
Beautiful in a surreal sort of way. And now for the beast...let's send those civil engineers for a trip along the Blue Ridge Parkway..
http://www.griztrax.net/gtforum/wild1/1596.html
Posted by: fletch | September 21, 2004 1:40 PM
Might be worth nominating for James Kunstler's "Eyesore of the Month." I can see him having a lot of fun with this.
Posted by: Dave | September 21, 2004 2:23 PM
Personally, I'm impressed. Impressed by Fred's composition skills and how minimal the impact of such a massive construction effort appears to have had on the area. Sorry! but it doesn't strike my eye as negative imagery. To me it represents the past and the future sharing the same space. Yes! it does remind one of a scene from a sci-fi movie.
Posted by: Clarence | September 22, 2004 3:34 AM
Except that I thought in terms of a book illustration, I was right in there with Kathy & Clarence in ascribing your photo as a graphic from sci-fi! Nice composition!
Posted by: Cop Car | September 23, 2004 1:58 PM
Impressive photo
Posted by: meg | September 23, 2004 7:47 PM
I can't stop staring at the photo.
Captivating.
Very captivating.
Posted by: Insectophile | October 18, 2004 9:26 PM