SAVANNA, Illinois -- All the hype lead up to a couple seconds of booming, billowing smoke and tons of metal quickly collapsing into the Mississippi River between Savanna and Sabula the morning of Friday, March 9.
The demolition of the historic Savanna-Sabula bridge attracted nearly 1,000 spectators, who lined both the Illinois and Iowa banks of the Mississippi and the surrounding bluffs. They were treated to quite the show, as demo charges brought the bridge down cleanly into the river next to the new bridge that's replacing it shortly after 10:30 a.m.
On social media, commenters mentioned hearing the boom from as far away as Clinton and Lansing, Iowa.
Clean up work began almost immediately. The metal that fell into the Mississippi will be recovered, placed on barges and shipped down river.
The bridge, built in 1932 and infamous for its narrow lanes and metal grid bridge deck, is being replaced by a new $80.6 U.S. 52-Illinois 64 bridge.
Enjoy these different perspectives - including drone footage - of the demolition:
