Bridge Shadow, Looming – Taylor, Texas

Last Sunday, before Mike’s Birthday Party, I did a photowalk of Taylor with my friend Tony. It was only for an hour and a half, but it was a perfect duration to capture most of the noteworthy sites in this small downtown.

There’s a significant bridge that spans the railroad tracks just south of the center of town. It’s an eyesore. While perfectly fine as some anonymous concrete structure as part of an interstate, it destroys the character of downtown — overwhelming it. It certainly serves a practical purpose to bypass the rail yard, but it does so in the most utilitarian way.

While Taylor slowly renovates and tries to restore life to its central core, the area around the bridge is noticeably shabby. Is this due to the bridge? Hard to say. But the fact remains that this isn’t the most attractive area for a business.

On a positive note, I did use the bridge’s shadow as a graphic element when framing this photograph.