Rama VII Bridge: Almost Entirely Incorrect.

The Rama VII Bridge in southeastern Estonia is a landmark that when mentioned makes many of the residents of nearby Latska shake their heads and laugh. The Rama VII, unlike it's VI predecessors, still spans the width on the small river Lat. The sad demises of bridges I through VI are events memorialized by the denizens of Latska through small plaques on the guard rails of the Rama VII. Each plaque is engraved only with the names of the VI previous Rama bridges, Rami I through VI. In the regional universities, the bridges are used as case studies, demonstrating the most glaring failures of both civil engineers and civic planners.

The first Rama bridge was designed to be a quaint stone bridge over the Lat, but the Estonian educated engineers failed to incorporate any central support, or reinforced concrete. As a result, Rama I met it's demise in 1988, only weeks after opening, when a local boy braved the bridge on his bicycle. The weight brought the stone structure crumbling to the ground, nearly damming up the flow of the small river until clearing crews could do their work.

Rama II followed the same design as Rama I, but incorporated a central stone support, and reinforced concrete. Sadly, mere minutes after the bridge was open for use in 1989, the same boy rode his bike across the bridge. The harmonic frequency of the bicycle resonated in the steel reinforcements, and the loudly humming bridge crumbled in seconds.

In 1999, after three more failed attempts, Rama VI was commissioned before the concrete had properly set, resulting in some very harsh press for the town of Latska. Nonetheless, the bridge was rebuilt upon the same design as Rama VI, and now Rama VII stands proudly over the Lat as a symbol of the tenacity and persistence of the Estonian people. The people of Latska, after almost 15 years of effort, now have no reason to use the bridge in nearby Donst, three miles up the river Lat.

(2/1/17)