My first kiss was on a school bus stopped on the 1930s bridge over the Missouri River in my hometown of Washington, MO. It was receiving its last or next to last life extending renovation. For some reason they didn't repaint the whole thing and left half of it a red primer.

The town had great connections to the bridge, I think it was the last old bridge in MO crossing the Missouri River, it was in slightly better shape than the others. It still had weight and height restrictions and was on the narrow side. When I was learning to drive, dad made me drive across it in his '85 GMC Sierra, it scared the shit out of me, I thought for sure I was going to take a mirror off.

The new bridge is safer and more useful, with no top so no height restriction, full 12' lanes instead of 11', large shoulders and a pedestrian path for people to bike to the Katy trail on the other side. The town wanted a new bridge, but wanted something aesthetic and grand like the old one, it got a sanitary bland one.

Washington, MO has a special place in my heart, its the home of the first Wal-Mart Supercenter in 1986, is the last manufacturer of corn cob pipes (think Gen. MacArthur), and today got to experience this from only 145 pounds of explosives:

It’s the first news story I have seen where the newscasters said no drones allowed. They could have hired a couple of professionals to video it at a much closer distance with zero risk of injury and cheaper than that helicopter that was half a mile away. Pretty cool though.

We went back home to watch the big solar eclipse as Washington was in the area of totality. My parents and my family watched it from the river front where everyone is watching the bridge blow in the video. Some knob was flying a drone during it with flashing red lights. Kinda ruined it a bit. My guess is they were worried about the remote controls/radio signals of a drone interfering with their coms? I would think they would set something like this off with wiring and not remote control, so that wouldn't be the issue.

Very interesting. Have been across that bridge many times in my life. Family originally from the Moselle/St. Clair and Sullivan areas with many still residing there. We go back at least once a year for a family reunion.

Sad to see these old bridges go.

Downtown Washington reminds me of the only Missouri town I spent a little time in, Sweet Springs. Very nice!

Now to pick up the pieces. Isn't there a funk soundtrack for the crew? Average White Band?

Washington, MO is a very cool town.
But due to suburban sprawl it's almost a suburb of the St. Louis area now. Still, it has some character.

Last night I attended a presentation on Route 66. It was a picture slide show by a local historian who grew up along Route 66 and his parents moved several times but traveled it every year in his youth. His photographs are all that' left of much of it. It was both interesting and sad to see.

They did the same thing in my old hometown in Iowa on the Mississippi in the seventies.
Pretty cool sight.

I've seen a number of explosive-aided demolitions, including one live one (three rivers stadium). IIRC, in all the others the charges were not simultaneous, presumably to allow gravity to have an affect on the process. What was different about this take down that informed a simultaneous discharge?

quote:

Originally posted by 1s1k:
It’s the first news story I have seen where the newscasters said no drones allowed. They could have hired a couple of professionals to video it at a much closer distance with zero risk of injury and cheaper than that helicopter that was half a mile away. Pretty cool though.

They WANT distance. Anything transmitting a signal in proximity could potentially interfere with the timing of the charges. The closer you are, the greater the signal strength.

Wow

Good cause for the money.

For a minute there I though they were blasting the truss off the bridge and leaving the deck.

quote:

Originally posted by SigSAC:
They WANT distance. Anything transmitting a signal in proximity could potentially interfere with the timing of the charges. The closer you are, the greater the signal strength.

The demo company had a drone that was flying quite close. I don't know anything about the transmitting signal the demo company uses but I have never heard of current RC equipment interfering with anything. The transmitter and flying object "bind" to each other only.

quote:

Originally posted by BBMW:
For a minute there I though they were blasting the truss off the bridge and leaving the deck.

HAHA That's what I thought also then I saw a truck drive on it seconds later and realized it's the new bridge.

No, I figured they were just cleaning up the bridge by getting rid of the truss, and were going to keep using the span without it.

quote:

Originally posted by 1s1k:

quote:

Originally posted by BBMW:
For a minute there I though they were blasting the truss off the bridge and leaving the deck.

HAHA That's what I thought also then I saw a truck drive on it seconds later and realized it's the new bridge.

I'm in town now, the bridge was 1/3 removed from the river at 4pm. I think they intend to have the river open again tomorrow. It certainly looks different without it. There were several professional photographers set up that have good pics on Facebook showing the instant at least 80% of the charges are simultaneously lit. Tomorrow and in October is a 150th anniversary celebration for Meerschaum corncob pipes downtown. Free tours of the factory and I saw some beer trailers set up. Unfortunately, my brother and I are on a hurried mission here getting more things moved from the parents' house so I won't be able to make it.