Demolition experts at Demtech Inc., Dubois, WY, have set a record for the longest bridge felled with explosives.

Crews from Demtech and the general demolition contractor, Trumbull/National JV, successfully felled the 13-span, 2,682-foot long structure in one explosive sequence to minimize disruption to vehicular traffic on the heavily traveled Ohio Turnpike (I-80) located just 60 feet to the south in Boston Mills USA.

Blaster Steve Rainwater and his crew used 138 lbs. of RDX linear charges to sever nine steel over-deck truss spans and four girder spans that were supported by twelve 130-foot tall concrete piers.

Extra explosive charges were added to the westernmost bridge segments to facilitate increased fractionalization, as these spans extended over a two-lane roadway, the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad line and the Cuyahoga River respectively.

The 9.6 million pound structure segmented perfectly, with no adverse effect to adjacent liabilities. The Demtech team then returned to the site two weeks later to blast the remaining bridge piers. All materials were taken to West Virginia for recycling.