http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Steuben_Bridge The Fort Steuben Bridge, originally the Weirton-Steubenville Bridge, was a suspension bridge which spanned the Ohio River from Steubenville, Ohio to Weirton, West Virginia and carried U.S. Route 22 and then Ohio State Route 822 during its existence. Completed in 1928 and opened as a toll bridge, the Fort Steuben Bridge was a more direct route for the flow of traffic across the river; particularly for trucks and heavy vehicles from the industrial area. The Fort Steuben Bridge was weight-restricted in 2006 and closed in 2009 due to deterioration. The bridge was demolished by Joseph B. Fay Co. on February 21, 2012. Originally named the Weirton-Steubenville Bridge, construction of the bridge began in 1927 and was completed in 1928.[3] Under the direction of the Dravo Contracting Company's Engineering Works Department, based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the project was referred to as the "Stanton Bridge over the Ohio River at Steubenville, Ohio".[1] The bridge spanned 1,584 ft 9 in (483.03 m) and had a width of 29 ft 3 in (8.92 m)[1][2] Serving as a link between Steubenville, Ohio and Weirton, West Virginia, the Fort Steuben Bridge opened as a toll bridge in November 1928.[4][5] The bridge was the main carrier of U.S. Route 22 over the Ohio River, its traffic included trucks and heavy duty vehicles associated with the industrial facilities in Weirton-Steubenville area and along the Ohio River. The Fort Steuben Bridge provided a more direct route for the flow of traffic which previously had to use the Market Street Bridge. As of 1940 the toll for the bridge was 5 cents (US$0.84 with inflation[6]) for pedestrians and 25 cents (US$4.21 with inflation[6]) for automobiles.[7] The toll was removed in 1947,[8][a] when ownership of the bridge was transferred to the State of Ohio.[9] Improvements to the bridge were made in 1956.[8] ================ http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/46473211#46473211 Video of the demolition =================== http://www.citylab.com/design/2012/02/fiery-demolition-ohios-fort-steuben-bridge/1315/ BOOM: The Fiery Demolition of Ohio's Fort Steuben Bridge The 84-year-old structure went down in flames this week, a spectacular implosion caught from multiple camera angles. John Metcalfe | ?@citycalfe | Feb 24, 2012 | ?9 Comments 32 Shares ?Share on Facebook ?Tweet ? ? ? ? For 84 years, the Fort Steuben Bridge linked the communities of Steubenville, Ohio, and Weirton, West Virginia. On Tuesday, it went down like a sack of flaming potatoes. Wrapped in 13 pounds of det cord and 130 pounds of copper-coated linear charges, the ailing bridge stood in a cordoned-off zone while construction crews made a brief countdown. Then they hit the button. Heavy explosives cut through the structure's steel like a boxers' fists through butter, sending pieces of rubble spinning hundreds of feet into the air. Thick slabs of Fort Steuben plunged into the cold waters below, although smoke from the charges made it appear as if the bridge's ghost stood for a few seconds afterward. The 1,584-foot bridge was supposed to undergo demolition in 2009 due to its narrow, obsolete lanes and deteriorated floor, but the usual government delays put the $2.3 million project on hold until this week. Cars had been forbidden to cross it during its long period on death row. When it finally bit it, multiple cameras recorded the event. Here's another great tape: The blowing-up aspect of the Fort Steuben project was managed by Controlled Demolition Inc., and before you ask, yes, they have a YouTube channel full of similar explosion porn. CDI not only seems to get the job done neatly, but also provides the hoi polloi with a great show. The company has several Guinness World Records for its explosive antics, including the implosion of the Seattle Kingdome in 2000, then the largest volumetric structure in the world at 19.821 million cubic feet. As one commenter noted about that eardrum-assaulting video, "Being in demolition has to be one of most fulfilling jobs on the planet." Construction Equipment Guide has the details on the bridge demolition, for anybody who must know more: Becky Giauque, public information officer of District 11 of ODOT, said the detonation was done by Controlled Demolition Inc., a specialty explosives subcontractor from Phoenix, Md. “CDI’s segmentation of the steel trusses, suspension cables, and main towers allowed for a more efficient, time-saving and safer demolition operation compared to conventional methods,” she said. “The basic premise of explosives operation is to isolate the key structural members of the bridge and cut them with linear-shaped charges to safely segment and drop the bridge to the surface below. “The explosive charges placed on the CDI-selected chords, diagonals, suspension cables and towers totaled 136 cut points and were detonated commencing on the Ohio end of the bridge and progressing to the West Virginia end,” added Giauque. Video courtesy of the Ohio Department of Transportation. =============== http://www.dot.state.oh.us/districts/d11/pages/ftsteubenbridgedemolition.aspx ----------------============ http://www.iuoelocal18.org/bridge-demo-slideshow.php Local union workers' slide show of the demo