toledoblade.com -- Reconnecting on the Gulf Coast

toledoblade.com -- Reconnecting on the Gulf Coast:

"...the residents of Bay St. Louis and Pass Christian breathed sighs of relief and celebrated recently when a new $267 million span was opened, closing a two-mile gap created by the storm's savage fury in August, 2005.

The bridge was constructed in only 10 months, half the expected schedule. In the meantime, commuters had to take a 45-minute detour north to Interstate 10 to get to the other side of St. Louis Bay. Businesses suffered from the isolation, as did the spirit of local residents.

The opening, which comes at the beginning of another hurricane season, is 'major, psychologically,' a restaurant owner told the New York Times. 'It just feels like we're moving, making progress, we're going forward.'"