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Updated: 8:35 PM Jun 18, 2010
NEW INFO: Implosion Brings Down Old Guyandotte Bridge
The bridge was closed to vehicles in January 2007.
Posted: 8:51 AM Jun 18, 2010RAW VIDEO included Reporter: WSAZ News Staff Email Address: news@wsaz.com |
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6 Comments 
UPDATE 6/18/10 @ 6 p.m.
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Burning bridges -- that's exactly what happened in Huntington Friday morning. The spectacle brought people from around the region to watch.
A piece of history-- the old Guyandotte bridge -- was blown off its hinges, making way for progress.
“It's been there a long time," Bob Crews said. "I've seen a lot of these things on TV and never seen one in real life."
Michael Neace, a young spectator, said, “It’s going to go like boom and drop."
Karin Neace, another young spectator, said, "It's going to be the first time I'm going to see a bridge go down."
Spectator Dr. Mike Spindel said, "It's an unusual experience to see large volumes of explosives to take something down it took people so long to put up."
Spectator Mark Neace said, "We actually saw on the news it was going to drop today and we wanted to stop by."
So Mark Neace brought his family all the way from Lincoln County, W.Va., to watch the small bridge demolished.
"I think everyone likes to see something get blown up," said Scott Gustafason with Demtech Demolition. "There's a little kid in everybody."
And judging from the size of the crowd, there was probably something to that.
Friday marked D-day for the old 5th Avenue bridge connecting Huntington to Guyandotte. Built more than 80 years ago, the bridge has seen its day, and it was time for demolition. But, rest assured, it will take many good memories with it.
“It's been here since I can remember," spectator Winslow Terry said. "I used to live in Guyandotte and used to cross this bridge many times. It'll be sad to see it because it brings back so many memories from better days, but it will be replaced with a better bridge and you can't stand in the way of progress."
“We'd go swimming, jump off it, we'd have a good time," spectator Roger Sullivan said. "We'd go fishing."
While many were hoping to capture some final memories, others hoped to start some new ones.
“We thought it might be something the kids would remember, so we thought we'd bring them down and make a day of it,” spectator Gary Maynard said.
A new $4 million bridge is scheduled to take the old bridge's place by next September.
UPDATE 6/18/10 @10 a.m.
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- The old 5th Avenue bridge into Guyandotte was imploded around 9:30 a.m. Friday.
UPDATE 6/18/10 @ 8:45 a.m.
HUNTINGTON, W.Va.(WSAZ) -- Crews are expected to implode the
old 5th Avenue bridge into Guyandotte sometime mid-morning Friday.
Several streets in and around the bridge are expected to close for a short time when the implosion occurs.
We do not have an exact time for the implosion, but it is expected to be around 9:30 a.m. We do have a crew at the scene to tape the event.
The bridge was built in 1926, but was closed in 2007 because of safety concerns.
A new, 4-million dollar bridge will take its place in September 2011.
Viewing areas will be set up along Main Street and 5th Avenue.
Keep clicking on WSAZ.com for updated information.
ORIGINAL STORY 6/14/10
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – The West Virginia Division of Highways says it plans to demolish the old 5th Avenue bridge into Guyandotte this Friday.
Officials made the announcement Monday morning during a media briefing on various road projects across the region.
Right now, officials do not have a time for the demolition; they say it depends on the weather.
Crews have already removed the bridge’s deck in preparation for the demolition.
The bridge was closed to vehicles in January 2007.
The new bridge will have two lanes, both of which will travel east into Guyandotte.
The bridge is expected to cost four million dollars and be open by September 2011.
Latest Comments
No need??? the traffic gets so backed up at quitting time in the evenings on 3rd Avenue - It will be nice to have that bridge again there at 5th Avenue!
So rather than dismantle the bridge, they decide to send it into the river. "Wild, Wonderful, and POLLUTED" West Virginia again...
From Merriam Webster: EXplosion- a large-scale, rapid, or spectacular expansion or bursting out or forth IMplosion-: the act or action of bringing to or as if to a center So the video is titled Bridge Explosion----did it really EXplode or did it IMplode?
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