This past June I opined on these pages about the scheduled closing of the Silver Creek Bridge and the lack of commitment and vision by Town and State leadership to devise an alternative to the potential blockade of downtown Bristol.

I, along with the business community and residents of downtown Bristol, heartily applaud the announcement that the bridge will be open for partial traffic flow through the replacement process. I’m sure that the final implementation will still have its issues and inconveniences, but they will pale in comparison to the original plan.

As a former publisher, I heard time and again accusations from readers that the media only accentuates the negative and doesn't applaud the positive. They said the press is quick to publicize the problem, but hesitant to report on the solutions.

So, let us celebrate the positive! John F. Kennedy said, “Victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan." This bridge reversal has many fathers and mothers.

Kudos to Bristol town leaders, Gov. Gina Raimondo and her administration, (especially DOT Director Peter Alviti), the Bristol business community, concerned Bristolians, the steadfast editorial position of the Bristol Phoenix and support from the editorial board of the Providence Journal for their cooperation and support in finding an equitable solution.

Howard G. Sutton
Bristol

The writer is Publisher Emeritus of The Providence Journal.