Bridge Collapses While Being Prepared for Demolition

While being prepared for demolition, the Grand Avenue Bridge in Glenwood Springs, Colorado unexpectedly collapsed to the railroad tracks below.  Thankfully, no injuries were reported, but the local police chief said that workers had to flee the scene once the bridge section started to fall.

Crews were working on pulling one of the girders when a pier buckled and collapsed, according to the Post Independent. Clean up began almost immediately after the collapse. The concrete bed supported by the beams had already been removed from the section previously.

The original bridge was completed in 1953 and its replacement is partially built already. The total cost for the new bridge will total around $126 million.

It’s generally a good practice to set up a restricted access zone when there is any possible chance of collapse during demolition or wall construction.  The cause of the collapse has not been determined.

Video below via Colorado Mountain College:

Full Story: Portion of old Grand Avenue bridge collapses | Post Independent

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