Venerable Rhode Island bridge demolished

The Jamestown Bridge, a landmark in Rhode Island, was recently demolished with explosives in a controlled explosion. The bridge, which opened in 1940, was for decades the only road link across Narragansett Bay, with the only option a ferry, until the Jameston-Verrazano Bridge was built more recently.

Explosives in the bridge’s center span were detonated at 11 a.m., and the span plunged 135 ft into the bay, AP reported.

Significant pavement surface had already been removed from the 240-ft-high bridge, and cuts had been made in the girders to ensure the bridge was destroyed, said Rhode Island DOT’s Chief Engineer Edmund Parker.

The newer Jamestown-Verrazano Bridge was temporarily closed during the demolition.