One Last Walk Across the Joe Ratcliff Pedestrian Walkway Before Its Upcoming Demolition

A little past 7 Saturday evening we stopped by to say our farewells to the Joe Ratcliff Pedestrian Walkway over LBJ Freeway, between Marsh and Webb Chapel, which will be demolished in coming weeks to make way for the extreme managed toll-road makeover. As with the Forest Lane cruisin' reunion,...

By Robert Wilonsky

August 22, 2011

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A little past 7 Saturday evening we stopped by to say our farewells to the Joe Ratcliff Pedestrian Walkway over LBJ Freeway, between Marsh and Webb Chapel, which will be demolished in coming weeks to make way for the extreme managed toll-road makeover. As with the Forest Lane cruisin' reunion, way-back Northwest Dallasites turned out in droves to stroll down Amnesia Lane -- or, in this case, walk across the bridge that connects Dallas and Farmers Branch and for years has allowed kids to walk to and from William L. Cabell Elementary School. This morning, those kids, for the first time in decades, had to take a bus to school.

A new bridge will be rebuilt in its place, perhaps by as early as January. But speaking of how Dallas is more often a town of close-knit neighborhoods than a big city, old-timers from White and T.J. who hadn't seen each other in years back-slapped and chit-chatted about The Good Ol' Days; knew I shoulda brought a sixer. Meanwhile, below us big rigs honked at the assembled masses; it was, after all, quite the crowd. And organizers couldn't have picked a better time for the adios reunion -- golden hour. Even I couldn't screw up the pictures, of which there are several on the other side. Jump, but don't spit over the side. Please?

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