Bridge blast allows new Ohio River crossing

A 213m section of the Old Milton-Madison Bridge was recently blasted into the Ohio River in the United States to make way for a new river crossing. Workers rigged the structure with small controlled explosives and took it down shortly after 9.15am on Sunday 28 July 2013. Small explosive charges were placed at key locations on the bridge. The charges were detonated at intervals to control the direction of the fall. Pieces of the truss will be retrieved from the river, placed on barges, and taken to the shore
July 30, 2013 Read time: 1 min
A 213m section of the Old Milton-Madison Bridge was recently blasted into the Ohio River in the United States to make way for a new river crossing.

Workers rigged the structure with small controlled explosives and took it down shortly after 9.15am on Sunday 28 July 2013.

Small explosive charges were placed at key locations on the bridge. The charges were detonated at intervals to control the direction of the fall.

Pieces of the truss will be retrieved from the river, placed on barges, and taken to the shore for further dismantling and eventually sold for scrap.

Divers are said to be on call to ensure all pieces are removed.

Click on the video link to watch the Old Milton-Madison Bridge blast
Road Structures

Related Content

  • Explosive demolition of US421 bridge over Ohio River
    September 23, 2013
    The fourth and final section of the Milton-Madison Bridge in the US has now been demolished. This aged 740m long structure was no longer able to cope with the traffic volumes along the route and has been demolished to make way for a new bridge. The bridge connects the US states of Indiana and Kentucky and has provided a key traffic route for the busy US421 over the Ohio River for many years. In a rather innovative piece of engineering, the new bridge has been constructed alongside the old structure and even
    Read More
  • VIDEO: Successful explosive bridge demolition in Kentucky
    July 28, 2016
    A successful explosive bridge demolition job has been carried out in the US State of Kentucky. After a short delay, demolition specialists managed to remove the old Eggners Ferry Bridge successfully and without incident. The explosives broke up the four middle spans of the structure. The demolition job was not without its challenges, with concern over the presence of nesting ospreys on the structure. Demolition personnel had to keep a distance of 90m from the nesting area, which delayed preparations.
    Read More
  • Almost gone: Canada’s old Port Mann Bridge deconstructed
    August 14, 2015
    Three years ago a welder’s cut halved Canada’s old Port Mann Bridge. David Arminas reports from the banks of the Fraser River. By the time this issue of World Highways reaches you, one of Canada’s iconic steel arch bridges will be a shadow of its former self. It’s been a three-year demolition job since the first cut across the deck of the old Port Mann Bridge just outside the city of Vancouver on Canada’s Pacific coast. A new 10-lane 2.2km Port Mann Bridge opened in 2012 (see box). It runs parallel to the o
    Read More
  • VIDEO: Explosive bridge demolition in Southern Italy
    February 15, 2016
    Italian contractor General Smontaggi has carried out a successful bridge demolition project in the south of the country. Explosives were used to remove the redundant Viadotto Caffaro Bridge carrying the A3 Autostrade. The 390m long structure had been found to be unsuitable for modern traffic requirements on the route, located in Calabria. The demolition project was not straightforward as the new bridge had already been constructed alongside the redundant structure. The extensive pre-weakening work for the old bridge included cutting into the deck to ensure it collapsed downwards.
    Read More

Highlighted Content