Visitreno

[remano]

As of today, June 1, the Virginia Street bridge is fully closed to all traffic, including pedestrians and bicycles, to begin demolition and reconstruction. This has been expected for some time but cars were still passing until this morning. Visitors heading south from downtown, toward Peppermill, Atlantis, the mall etc. are advised to take Sierra Street across the river. In the other direction Center Street is the detour. These streets are only one block to either side of Virginia so the detour shouldn't be too disruptive. The new bridge is expected to be open in about a year.

[JD]

With the river so low, have you seen anyone digging or dredging looking for wedding rings? Or is that another urban myth?

[remano]

I haven't seen anyone down there recently with a metal detector, or digging up rocks or other activities that would look like prospecting for rings, and I've never seen anyone throwing a ring off the bridge except in the movies. It seems the subject would come up about once a year somewhere in the local press, and the general conclusion is that it is mostly an urban myth, at least in recent years anyway. Maybe there was some truth to it "back in the day."

[spdmrcht]

I would think they would be throwing them on a pawn shop counter?

[CaSwede]

My cousin who grew up in Reno back in the 50's claims he had a high school buddy that recovered two wedding rings out of the river. There was a group of men with dredging equipment in the 1990's claims to have recovered 350 pieces of jewelry near the bridge...?? Who knows, but we have to admit it is a great story!!

http://www.onlinenevada.org/articles/virginia-street-bridge

[remano]

Here's a recent story about the bridge and throwing rings into the river, looks like UNR will be putting together a historical review:

http://www.kolotv.com/home/headlines/Reno-Bids-Farewell-to-1905-Bridge-Made-Famous-by-Divorce-306374471.html