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Jun 21, 2009 6:27 pm US/Central
Explosives Make Lowry Bridge Go Boom!
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ―
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Demolition crews imploded the Lowry Avenue Bridge shortly after 9 a.m. Sunday.
CBS
The Lowry Avenue Bridge stood for more than 100 years in northeast Minneapolis. On Sunday, it took just a couple of seconds to send it tumbling down.
The bridge hadn't been used since April 2008, when it was deemed structurally unsafe.
People in Northeast Minneapolis both loved and hated the Lowry Bridge, which was built in 1905.
"I grew up here. Grew up walking up and down that bridge scared to death because you could see right through it," said Cassandra Jaworski.
The bridge connected north Minneapolis with northeast Minneapolis, upstream of downtown. It was known for its open-slat deck that hummed with vibration as traffic passed and gave motorists a clear view of the river below.
Caroline Dyer lived in Northeast Minneapolis for years and remembers some scary moments.
"In the winter, ice would freeze on the iron grates and then you'd really fishtail if you were going too fast," she said.
On the other hand, Mark Hoffer remembers riding over the bridge's grates as an adventure.
"I remember driving over it when I was a kid and the sound it would make. We called it 'the noisy bridge.' We always looked forward to driving over it when we went to visit my aunt and uncle," said Hoffer. "It will be kind of sad to see it go."
The nostalgic and simply curious lined the shores along the Mississippi River and boarded boats for a better view of Sunday morning's implosion.
"It's cheap entertainment," admitted Tim Crow, who has photographed two other local implosions.
Authorities kept everyone at least 1,000 feet away while crews got ready to blow 198 pounds of explosives. Just after 9 a.m., the bridge was detonated and those nearby (and some not so nearby) heard a loud, deep boom.
"I think it's a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing," said Tim Figge, who used to work next to the bridge.
The blast itself took only 375 milliseconds -- too fast for a lot of people to capture the shot, even though they'd been preparing for hours.
"That lapse in attention will kill you every time," said Ann Staton.
But the thrill lasted much longer.
"I thought that was awesome," said 11-year-old Daniel Frisco.
But those used to seeing the landmark felt a little sad, while others said it was time for an update.
"Oh yeah, I'll miss it, because then you've got the newfangled bridges. They don't make them with the bars, make it pretty," explained Dyer.
"I'm kind of excited. It's part of history going away but you watching the changes in the Northeast. It's kind of fun to see changes," added Jaworski.
The river channel will be cleared within 24 hours of the implosion. Construction on the new bridge is scheduled to start this fall.
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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