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For the record, the Wilson bridge demolition was audible from my place, near 18th and U St. NW in Washington DC. If I hadn't been listening for it, I wouldn't have heard it. I watched the coverage on channel 7, which interrupted their normal programming. I saw the video and expected some delay since sound travels more slowly than light; but it was much longer than I thought it would be. Nevertheless, there was a distinctive, drawn out, rolling thunder-like sound that I might have otherwise not given much thought.
The Wilson bridge is a part of my youth. Cursed by many, nevertheless there will always be some nostalgia for it (nostalgia makes up for the crappy times when something is current). I fondly remember being unemployed in the 90s, hanging out in Old Town, and watching the draw span rise majesticly during August twilight, the otherwise fast-paced life of Washington and its surroundings forced to stop.
The new bridge, believe it or not, will still be a draw span, IIRC, the only one left on the US Interstate highway system. It's a higher bridge though, so it won't open as often.
The contest for the worst commute and the chance to push the button beginning the demolition made it to the papers here so I have been following the story from afar. That's cool you could hear the bridge go.
Elizabeth
IIRC, the only one left on the US Interstate highway system. It's a higher bridge though, so it won't open as often.
Some years ago, I remember a drawbridge on I-95 through Jacksonville. Anyone know if it's still there?
Michelle
Boy, do I have egg on my face. See the link.
Drawbridges on the Interstate system, Wikipedia
Hey you can't know everything, unless you're Wikipedia (is there anything they don't cover?!)
I must not be paying attention to the news lately because I knew they were replacing the span but I didnt know they had just demolished it. Is there footage of its destruction anywhere, that would be interesting to see. (Probably a link on Wikipedia already by now lol)
Well, the networks had a better angle, but this guy's video is probably a good taste of what it would have been like if I had actually gone. I'm kind of glad I didn't go, as I don't think they were running special trains for the event, so I would have had to take a cab, or make quite a hike to get home.
Somebody's home video of the demolition
Someone said the exact same thing on the TV news some years ago, probably ABC on channel 7, as that was the one we used to watch at that time. I knew it was wrong at the time as I had been over the drawbridge on I-280 in Toledo the week before. I have been over that one many times since as it is on the route we take from the Washington area to my cousins who live near Detroit (the Wilson Bridge isn't, as we go the around the other side of the Beltway).
I watched the bridge come down on channnel 7. We couldn't hear the bang from Waldorf, though. It was a great sight seeing all the explosives go off in the dark and the ramp dropping gradually from one end. There's a lot more of it to demolish, though.
I used to commute over it all the time, which was a particularly unpleasant experience. When I worked in Arlington I switched to driving through DC to avoid the bridge, as it had reached the stage where it took 35 minutes to cross.
The bridge span was never the problem, though, all the traffic delay is between the last two junctions, and the last junction is only accessible by South-bound traffic coming out of DC. When I worked in Alexandria, close to the bridge, I used to drive up I-295 into DC and turn around 180 degrees at Bolling AFB so I could access the last junction before the bridge, which saved me at least 20 minutes off my commute. The planners have no idea. Someone should tell them - It's the access roads, stupid!
The sound was loud enough to wake me up at 12:30 am where I am in South Arlington. It sounded like a huge thunderclap.
Al