A wild turkey recently interrupted traffic on theTriboro Bridge in NY.  Images of the turkey’s adventure were captured on security cameras near the toll booth.  The turkey appeared well fed for its stroll.   It seemed to be deciding which exit to take- towards New England (better choice) or remaining in NY.  It was good news for the turkey that traffic was relatively light at the time (by Triboro Bridge standards).  For this bird, taking the road less travelled made all the difference. 

At Turkey Run State Park in Marshall, Indiana, you can cross two, beautiful historic bridges over Sugar Creek.  One is a pedestrian suspension bridge that crosses a gorge.

The second is the Narrows covered bridge, built in 1882 and rebuilt many times since then.

The park is named after the wild turkeys that would congregate in the warmer ravines and deep rock cuts during the winter.  Settlers found easy pickings in herding the congregation of turkeys into the runs.  

A blog entry about turkeys on bridges would not be complete without discussing bridges in Turkey.  Two of the worlds’ great suspension bridges span the Bosphoros Strait, connecting Asia to Europe.  The first was constructed in 1973 and it has a main span of 3524 feet. 

The second, the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, opened in 1988, with a main span of 3576 feet.

The span lengths for the bridges place them in the top twenty worldwide- numbers 17 and 15 respectively. The design of both features long spans that avoid the deep waters of the Bosphorus Strait.   The structures are beautiful, with slender spans that grace their dramatic settings.  Unlike most modern suspension bridges, the back spans are not suspended but are supported by piers. 

Discussions have begun for construction of a third Bosphorus bridge, further to the east of the existing two.  A recent New York Times article was critical of the planning, noting that the need is driven by Asian suburban sprawl around Instanbul.  The article comments that a third bridge would not solve traffic problems but only lead to more congestion and a degradation of Instanbul's environment.    

Back in the US, wild turkeys appear to be proliferating at a Canadian Geese-like rate.  Last week traffic stopped for several minutes on North Main Street near my house as a flock of turkeys gaggled across.  The eight turkeys had decided to cross the road to get to the other side.  These were shameless turkeys, plump with meaty jowls that cried out for sauce and stuffing.  The relaxed birds carelessly waddled across the street and didn’t seem to be aware of the time of year.