Final piece of bridge finally falls into Arkansas River

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Oct. 16 (UPI) — The final piece of a bridge finally fell into the Arkansas River after two demolition attempts.

Broadway Bridge’s last remaining concrete arch dropped into the river Saturday afternoon more than six hours after the other two arches fell, Danny Straessle, a spokesman for the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department, toldĀ ArkansasOnline. A jackhammer-like ram knocked the last arch down.

The second demolition was originally set for Friday afternoon, but rain delayed the state Highway Department’s plans.

On Tuesday morning, the steel arch survived explosives before two tugboats pulled it into the water almost five hours later. Officials determined the charges had successfully damaged the structure, but it was stuck because it fell into itself.

After debris is recovered, columns that supported the arches will be removed. Then, a new bridge will be built.

Unlike the steel arch that was demolished Tuesday, the concrete arches aren’t in the Arkansas River’s navigation channel.

Massman Construction faces penalties of $80,000 per day if it exceeds the 180-day deadline to finish the bridge replacement project.

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