Skip to main content

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

Related Content

  • Giving credence for Clearwater revival
    October 29, 2018
    The Minnesota Highway 24 Bridge spanning the Mississippi River at Clearwater is not a major structure. However, it does play a key role as the 376.4m-long bridge links US Highway 10 and Interstate 94. These routes run parallel on opposite sides of the Mississippi River and connect St Cloud to Minneapolis. There was a need to replace the old bridge, built in the 1950s, as it has been designated functionally obsolete, while it featured a restricted maximum load of 36.3tonnes. The price tag to demolish and
  • Norway’s record breaking undersea road tunnel
    February 25, 2015
    The world's deepest road tunnel is currently in construction near Stavanger in Norway but is only the prelude to even larger projects - report and photographs by Adrian Greeman. Norway's convoluted coastline of fjords and high mountains is famously scenic but also a major problem for transport and connections. The country has long experience of constructing tunnels as a result. Now a series of tunnels underway, or in design, around the oil industry city of Stavanger will stretch its skills more than usual.
  • New Midtown Tunnel open in Virginia
    January 30, 2017
    A project to construct the second Midtown Tunnel link in the US state of Virginia alongside the original connection has taken an important step forward – Mike Woof writes Commuters in the US state of Virginia will be pleased that the new Midtown Tunnel is now open to traffic, as it will help to boost capacity and cut congestion on the busy US 58 route connecting Norfolk and Portsmouth. The 1.13km tunnel link has been built to link with the interchange at Brambleton Avenue and Hampton Boulevard in Norfolk
  • Busy UK motorway junction demolished in tight time frame – Mark Anthony reports
    October 18, 2012
    Military-style planning and overwhelming demolition firepower ensured that Armac Group avoided financial penalties and the wrath of drivers on one of the UK’s busiest motorway intersections. Demolition & Dismantling reports. 6 January is traditionally known for the visit of the three wise men to Bethlehem. However, on 6 January 2012, three wise demolition engineers from Armac Group was tasked with dismantling the monumental structure known as Catthorpe Viaduct: the main overbridge of the M6/M1/A14 interc