Setting out to make a radio documentary about something as visual and static as bridges is definitely taking on a challenge. And while this piece from Radio Netherlands effectively communicates the reporter?s passion for these structures, it doesn?t quite succeed on other levels. The narration is competent, and the interviews touch on several interesting themes--bridges as a source of national pride, bridges as key to the economy of Holland, the effect of computers on bridge design?but they only touch on them. I wanted to hear least some of these ideas developed more thoroughly. The structural backbone of the piece is a contest to build a small bridge out of compressed sand, a scene that is revisited several times over the course of the story. While this is a creative device, the event doesn?t provide the drama necessary to pull the piece together. Between visits to the contest are a series of interviews with bridge historians, engineers and architects. Each person makes an interesting point or two, but in the end they were not particularly compelling characters. The use of sound and the mix were competent, but could have been used more artfully to enhance the story.