PI Update: How Bridges Led To The Island's Demise

We recently received an inquiry from Blog reader Troy about something and he included this old photograph with his question. We got that inquiry answered for him but what intrigues me the most about this pic is it reminded me about the two bridges that used to cross over to the West Side. At the time this photo was taken, there was one bridge (painted yellow) that crossed from the Island over to the West Side and another bridge that passed beneath it. That bridge actually ran from the PI parking lot, passed under the yellow bridge before depositing pedestrians on the West Side. When Pleasure Island was active at night, the lower bridge was the route taken by those traveling from Downtown Disney Marketplace over to the West Side, bypassing the gated Island. (During the day the Island was open and Downtown Disney pedestrians could travel between sections via PI.) The Island bypass became an issue as West Side stores complained that they were losing business because PI was in the way. That was one of the factors which led to the Island being shuttered. However, prior to that happening, the West End Stage was removed along with the bypass bridge. The then-yellow bridge was moved towards the lake, connecting the Island to the West Side where the removed bridge used to connect. The Island then became ungated at night. It was no longer necessary to go around the Island. Sadly, parents pushing strollers and teenagers did not mix well with alcohol-infused Islanders, another factor in the demise. Thanks, Troy!