The Unfinished Bridge

1. NarratorThiri lived in a village on one side of a wide river. The school was on the other side. Every morning she had to walk for forty minutes to the old stone crossing, and every evening she walked back.
2. NarratorA new bridge was being built, but it was taking a long time. For two years, the half-finished beams had stood over the water like the arms of a giant.
3. ThiriWhy is it so slow? They started when I was ten, and now I am twelve.
4. LeoMy dad says the builders have forgotten about us.
5. NarratorOne Saturday, a woman in a yellow helmet knocked at the school gate. She was the lead engineer, and she was holding a roll of plans.
6. The engineerHello. I hear you have questions about the bridge.
7. ThiriYes. Why does it take so long?
8. The engineerCome to the site, and I will show you.
9. NarratorAt the riverside, she led them to a table with a small model made from lolly sticks and glue.
10. The engineerA bridge is more than a path. It must carry heavy lorries, and it must survive floods. The first year, we tested the ground. The soil near the river is soft, so we had to drive the supports deep into the rock.
11. LeoHow deep?
12. The engineerThirty metres. That is the height of a ten-storey building, under the ground.
13. ThiriBut nobody can see that part.
14. The engineerExactly. The most important work is often hidden. Then, last winter, the river flooded, and we had to stop for three months.
15. NarratorShe picked up the model and pushed down on the middle with her finger. It held firm.
16. The engineerThis shape is called a truss. Triangles are strong, because force spreads along all three sides. If I build it with squares, it collapses.
17. NarratorShe showed them the same trick with two models. The one made of triangles stood straight, while the other fell on its side.
18. LeoSo the slow part keeps the bridge safe.
19. The engineerYes. A quick bridge might be ready this year and fall down in ten. A slow bridge will last a hundred.
20. ThiriWhat happens when it is finished? Will the whole village come?
21. The engineerThe whole village, and more. Farmers will take food to the town market, and the school bus will cross every morning. There will even be a lane for bicycles.
22. LeoCan I ride across it on my bike?
23. The engineerYou can be the first one, if your village agrees.
24. NarratorLeo grinned. For the first time, the half-built bridge looked less like a giant's arms and more like a promise.
25. ThiriI understand. But it is hard to wait when you have to walk every day.
26. The engineerI know. That is why we are building a temporary footbridge first, for people on foot. It will open next month.
27. NarratorThiri smiled for the first time. She asked if she could help with something.
28. The engineerOf course. We need volunteers to name the footbridge. Would you like to choose?
29. ThiriCan I ask the whole class?
30. The engineerPlease do.
31. NarratorThe following month, the footbridge opened. It had a bright blue rail and a sign made by the children: The Waiting Bridge. Thiri was first to cross, and the journey to school took six minutes.

Voices: when recorded voices are on this page they play; if not, your own device reads the words aloud in a British voice if it has one. Slow mode plays at 85 per cent speed.