6-Decade-Old Bridge Demo'd, Used as Artificial Reef

Aug. 29, 2019

North Carolina's Bonner Bridge is being demolished after standing for six decades. According to an article in The Virginian-Pilot, about a half mile of the center of the structure was hauled offshore, and will be used as an artificial reef. The bridge is expected to contribute to fishing at the bottom of the ocean, the article reports. 

 According to the article, no bridge of this size has ever been taken apart before in North Carolina, making it demanding and dangerous for NCDOT workers. 

A hydraulic-powered blade was used to cut through the structure under the roadway. According to the article, the blade pushes through concrete like a slow-moving, horizontal guillotine. 

In total, 70,000 tons of debris will be unloaded offshore on four different existing artificial reefs. Each barge hauls about 1,100 tons per load, and 374 of 1,619 piles have been extracted so far. The project is expected to be finished in early 2020.

Source: The Virginian-Pilot