Bridge Pier Set For Demolition
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe remaining original Milton-Madison Bridge pier is set for demolition this week. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says the 92-foot tall structure will come down in two blasts several days apart.
January 20, 2014
News Release
Louisville, Kentucky — In preparation for the upcoming bridge slide, the only remaining original Milton-Madison Bridge pier is scheduled to be demolished Wednesday, January 22 at 4 p.m., weather permitting. Demolition will require a brief bridge closure lasting approximately 10 minutes.
The 92-foot-tall pier will be removed in a series of two blasts scheduled to take place several days apart. Using controlled explosives, the first blast will topple the pier above the water line. A tension line anchored on the Madison side of the river will be used to pull the pier toward the shoreline, controlling the direction of its fall. Once the old pier is safely resting on the shoreline, it will be broken into smaller pieces and hauled off site. A second blast later in the week will fracture remaining portions of the pier under water so that they can be removed and hauled off.
An 800-foot safety perimeter will be in effect during the blast, prompting parts of Fillmore St. to be closed temporarily. Walsh Construction will notify all residents affected by the blast.
While three other original water piers have been strengthened and are being reused, the pier targeted for demolition has been replaced with a new land pier in Madison. The 2,427-foot-long bridge, which is currently sitting on temporary piers, is expected to be slid onto the refurbished piers in the coming weeks.
Source: Kentucky Transportation Cabinet