Fastest bridge? Not so fast.

Here's an article about construction of the new Ohio River bridge at Madison, Ind., being under way now. This part caught my eye:

The new span is expected to be open to traffic by September 15, 2012, making it the "fastest modern-day bridge built across the Ohio River".

I'll challenge that statement. The Silver Memorial Bridge was built in less than two years. It opened on Dec. 15, 1969, two years to the day after the Silver Bridge fell into the river. The Silver Memorial Bridge was built downstream of the old bridge at a new site, with new piers and everything. Siting, design, approaches, everything was done in two years.

This argument could hinge on what exactly you mean by "modern-day," but I think the first four-lane bridge built in these parts constitutes a "modern-day" bridge. Or it could hinge on exactly when construction began on the Silver Memorial Bridge. I'll listen to fact-based arguments that seek to refudiate my challenge.