SAVANNA-- Locals are taking a last cruise down the Savanna-Sabula Bridge before it's coming down.
The first time Lew Dennison crossed the Mississippi River Savanna-Sabula Bridge was the year it opened in the 1930s.
He was six years old at the time.
"With all those people on the bridge, it shook. So I started to cry because I thought the bridge was going to fall in the river," remembers Dennison longtime resident of Savanna, Illinois.
Almost 80 years later since its opening, he's walked, driven and even rode a horse over the bridge.
"When we got to the bridge (the horse) just walked right across," said Dennison.
Dozens of people from all over the area came out for a celebration called Bridgefest to get one last ride in before the implosion set for a later date.
Cheryl Kastantin and her husband drove about hour drive from Wheatland, Iowa to take photos before the bridge is taken down.
"I said yep we got to go take pictures...it's a big part of Iowa and Illinois history," says Cheryl Kastantin of Wheatland Iowa.
Motorcycles,vintage and new cars cruised together for the last time.
"It was a wonderful ride. The driver was very cautious. We didn't do any wheelies," said Dennison.
For some locals it's the end of an era but also the beginning of something new.
"In a few years we'll forget about the old bridge and just think about how wonderful our new bridge is."
Dozens ride across the Savanna-Sabula Bridge for the last time | WQAD.com
