IT was a case of history repeating for Wodonga cyclist Russell Cochran on Saturday.
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Mr Cochran was a boy of eight when the old stock bridge over Wodonga Creek was built.
So it seems fitting Mr Cochran, now 82, and his cycling buddy Jim Costelloe had the distinction of being among the first to cross the new cable suspension bridge replacing it.
Work on the $520,000 bridge, about 12 metres upstream from the stock bridge, started in November.
It opened on Saturday, much to the delight of avid cyclists Mr Cochran and Mr Costelloe, who regularly cycle the Border’s bike tracks together.
“We were hoping to be the first to cross it,” Mr Cochran said.
“We watched it being built — it’s a great design and good to cycle on.”
It’s reminiscent of his childhood days when, in 1940 he would wander down to the creek after school to watch the stock bridge construction.
Wodonga Council will keep the old bridge, which was decommissioned for safety reasons.
It will be fenced off and closed to public use.
The new bridge is 66 metres long and 21/2 metres wide, meaning there’s plenty of room for walkers and cyclists alike, and has been designed to connect with existing cycle paths.