By JOHN THOMPSON
Coweta Editor

Like ants circling a drop of melting ice cream in the sun, Senoia residents could not wait until the new bridge on Rockaway Road opened last week.

Some eager beavers had been spotted traversing the bridge before it officially opened last week, but the official crossing of the bridge didn't occur until Wednesday afternoon.

The bridge now provides Senoia residents with quick access via Rockaway Road to Ga. Highway 74 and the interstate highways. City officials are also hopeful that visitors will now discover the quaint eastern Coweta hamlet since the route is now easier to navigate.

The new bridge replaces an old wooden bridge that announced visitors to the city with a clippety-clop, but was getting outdated quickly.

Wood from the old bridge is being donated to long-time resident Paul McKnight, who is the unofficial historian of the town with his collection of memorabilia from the town's early years.

While many residents hoped the old bridge could be saved as a pedestrian and bike bridge, the contract with the Department of Transportation stipulated it had to be torn down. Mayor Joan Trammell is currently working on a plan to place a pedestrian and bike bridge next to the new crossing.

Although the new bridge is open for crossings, there are still some aesthetic details left to complete. Trammell is hopeful the city will be able to install old-fashioned lights on the bridge that will give visitors a signal that they're entering a community laced with history.

The $1.75 million facility appears to be opening just in time to coincide with the city's growth rate. DOT officials estimated the car count on the bridge at 2,200 per day in 1995.

But by 2015, nearly 4,100 cars will be traversing the elevated span into the city.

With the opening, city officials are now taking a hard look at the newly-improved entrance into the city. The city's Downtown Development Authority recently drew the area around the bridge into the city's central business district and suggested it be cleaned up since it will be the first view of the city for many visitors.