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August 8, 2006

One-two blasts demolish bridge's underwater piers

JAMESTOWN -- Demolition teams successfully blew up two underwater piers on the old Jamestown Bridge this morning -- with a small hitch.

The explosions were supposed to destroy piers 9 and 10 at the same time, but the first blast apparently disconnected the line to the second pier, forcing crew members to reconnect the underwater line, according to Wilfred Hernandez, project engineer for the state Department of Transportation.

The blasts took place at about 10:30 and 11 a.m., respectively. Officials planned to stop traffic on the new bridge for about a half hour after each explosion.

Previous blasts this spring brought down the span's center section and trusses at each end and attracted large crowds to the scene. There are still about two dozen underwater piers that must be cleared from the old bridge. The next set of underwater explosions is planned in about three weeks.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Randal Edgar

Posted by Steve Peoples  at 1:16 PM | Permalink

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