MoDOT Intentionally Explodes Bridge
If you are in the mood to watch some good old fashioned destruction, the fine folks over at the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) have you covered.
Details
On September 10th, MoDOT set off explosives on the supports of the Rocheport Bridge, causing it to collapse. The bridge is located near Columbia, Missouri and takes the I-70 across the Missouri River.
Why would MoDOT do such a thing? The answer is quite simple: with the bridge being 63 years old, MoDOT felt that it was time to make room for a bridge that is wider and can carry more vehicles every day with minimal congestion.
But that is not the reason why you are here, is it? You want to see the bridge fall apart. Here is the video MoDOT has posted of the event, which shows the destruction from multiple angles and in slow motion.
A Proactive Approach?
MoDOTs decision to destroy the bridge in a controlled environment raises the question as to whether or not other state DOTs should behave similarly, as established many times before, the United States’ bridges can often leave a lot to be desired, and it is better to rebuild from scratch by destroying it when nobody is on the bridge rather than letting it eventually collapse from wear and tear when drivers are traveling across it. Missouri, as a matter of fact, is one of the states with the highest number of bridges in “poor” condition according to the Federal Department of Transportation, so it is great to see them get to work on the derelict bridge epidemic!
Such an event would take a lot of planning and preparation, but as long as drivers are notified of easy, alternative routes they can take during repair or reconstruction, it should be a palatable solution to raising the average quality of America’s bridges.
Conclusion
As of the time of writing, the replacement bridge is set to be complete and fully open to traffic at the very start of 2025. Until then, the North Structure of the new bridge is complete, and you can see it in the demolition video. It will be split down the middle to temporarily accommodate both directions of traffic. With the North Structure being approximately the same size as the original bridge, the total effect the destruction of the Rocheport Bridge has on traffic will ultimately be minimal.
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