It's like one of them tractors. A big frigging hammer. We're inside one of the two massive concrete legs that support this bridge. There are rooms and stairways in here and all the machinery that makes the bridge work. The bridge crosses the St. Croix River at Prescott, Wisconsin.
Cars roll across it right over our heads.
Baritone Phil Fish, former Wisconsin farm boy, runs what some people consider one of the best bridge inspection programs in the country. For this bridge, he's brought in some high-tech help, big, bearded Dave Prine of Northwestern University in Chicago and two of his colleagues. Prine is about to flip a switch and find out if one piece of equipment survived the trip. All right, shall we cross our fingers, say three Hail Marys and pray. The Gods are smiling.