The new bridge

An original fiction passage set in the nineteenth century.

By noon the new bridge was ready, its iron rails painted black and its stone approach still pale from the mason's tools. A banner hung above the entrance, though the wind had twisted it until the words faced the river. The villagers had gathered on the near bank. No one stood beneath the banner.

Mr Lyle, the builder, stepped onto the first plank and called for the crowd to follow. His voice travelled across the water and came back thinner. A boy started forward, but his mother caught his sleeve. Behind them the old footpath descended to the ford, where the current slid over the familiar stones. The ferryman had tied his boat to the bank and watched the bridge without moving.

A cart crossed first. Its wheels struck the boards with a hollow clatter, and a few people flinched. Halfway across, the driver stopped to tighten a strap. The cart stood above the moving water, small and exposed. Then the horse shifted, the wheels rolled on, and the cart reached the other side. The driver lifted his hand. The crowd answered with a scattered cheer.

A girl walked onto the bridge after him, carrying a basket of apples. She did not look down. At the far end she turned and waved, and several villagers began to cross. Mr Lyle smiled at last, but the ferryman was still watching the river. The bridge joined the banks in a single straight line; beneath it, the water kept to its old course, darkening the stones one by one.

"The writer presents the new bridge as a source of unease rather than celebration."

Evaluate how successfully the writer presents this idea. Support your judgement with detailed references to the passage.