The Bay St. Louis bridge opened a year ago. It eased the commute for thousands of people, but more importantly it bridged the gap between two South Mississippi communities still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. As some people worked out on the bridge, others celebrated its one year of reopening at the Bay Bridge Fest.

Gale Singley was one of the revelers. She lives in Pass Christian and the bridge has made the commute to see her kids and grandkids much easier, but she also sees a bigger picture.

"It was to connect the communities. It was also an indication that the two communities are coming back, not only commercially but individuals were using the bridge. It makes rebuilding a lot easier," said Singley.

Southern District Transportation Commissioner Wayne Brown also took part in the festivities. He says the nearly 350 million dollar bridge went up quickly and will be a good investment for generations to come.

"The old bridge lasted 50 years. This bridge will last more than 50 years. Sixty, 70 years, from now people will be traveling across this bridge, and the final cost will be pennies per person traveling across this bridge. Wonderful investment," said Brown.