BRIDGE DEMOLITION: ALDOT blows up historic B.B. Comer Bridge

June 9, 2016

The truss structure was the only remaining bridge of the 15 memorial toll bridges constructed by the Alabama State Bridge Corporation

The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) blew up another section of the B.B. Comer Bridge across the Tennessee River in Scottsboro, Alabama, yesterday morning.

All traffic within a 1500-foot radius of the blasting site was halted for an estimated 15-20 minutes during the demolition. River traffic was stopped at approximately 7 a.m.

The B. B. Comer Bridge was a two-lane, 2,143-foot (653 m) long bridge spanning the Tennessee River along Alabama State Highway 35. Construction of the bridge commenced in 1929 and was complete by 1931.

By 2007, the aging structure was classified by ALDOT as being a structurally deficient bridge. Construction of a replacement bridge commenced in October 2007. On April 29, 2016, the bridge closed to all traffic with the opening of the new bridge. Crews began removing the road deck immediately after closure. With the replacement bridge completed and preservation efforts unable to save the old structure, the Comer Bridge was scheduled to be demolished.

Further blasting to demolish the remaining truss spans of the B.B. Comer Bridge over the Tennessee River at Scottsboro is planned to carry on throughout the month of June.