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

  • Acrow, hydraulically driven in NY
    August 18, 2020
    Detour bridges over Westchester Creek in the Bronx, part of greater New York city, are reportedly the first hydraulically-driven temporary lift bridges in the US
  • Growing niche market for roller compacted concrete
    February 20, 2012
    A growing niche market for roller compacted concrete has prompted manufacturers to offer solutions. Mike Woof reports. Increased demand for roller compacted concrete (RCC) machines in certain applications mean that this is now a growing market, with manufacturers having developed new machines for this sector. RCC comprises uncrushed and/or crushed aggregate, hydraulic binders and may also contain concrete additives. It is mixed in a concrete mixing plant on or near the job site and one of its main benefits
  • US bridges needing repair or replacement
    September 13, 2024
    Nearly 221,800 US bridges are needing repair or replacement.
  • Lucky escape for driver of plummeting excavator in Ohio
    July 21, 2015
    Thankfully no workers were injured when an excavator plummeted onto a road during a bridge demolition in the US state of Ohio.

    An amateur video captures the moment the bridge gave way, leaving a second excavator luckily in place on the other half of the bridge.

    The incident occurs at the very start of the video clip, so viewers may have to ‘rewind’ several times to get the best picture of the excavator hitting the ground.