New Sharon, ME bridge eventually collapses after explosion fails

[Dougtone]

A truss bridge aged about a century came crashing down Thursday in New Sharon, Maine, three hours after an initial blast of explosives failed to collapse the structure into the Sandy River and an excavator had to finish the job.  But when the truss eventually fell into the water, it landed upright instead of on its side as the contractor had anticipated.  The explosive charges initially did not knock the bridge down as planned because the company did not know about steel beams in the abutments, which were not listed in the bridge plans.  The bridge had significant cracks in the abutments, which called for the demolition, even though the bridge was out service for a number of years.  The bridge itself was likely an old alignment of US 2, as the bridge paralleled the modern highway.

Article about the bridge demolition can be found at:
http://www.onlinesentinel.com/news/New_Sharon_bridge_eventually_collapses_after_explosion_fails_.html

I also took a number of photos of this bridge back in September 2004.
http://www.gribblenation.net/nepics/newsharon/

[US71]

A truss bridge aged about a century came crashing down Thursday in New Sharon, Maine, three hours after an initial blast of explosives failed to collapse the structure into the Sandy River and an excavator had to finish the job.  But when the truss eventually fell into the water, it landed upright instead of on its side as the contractor had anticipated.  The explosive charges initially did not knock the bridge down as planned because the company did not know about steel beams in the abutments, which were not listed in the bridge plans.  The bridge had significant cracks in the abutments, which called for the demolition, even though the bridge was out service for a number of years.  The bridge itself was likely an old alignment of US 2, as the bridge paralleled the modern highway.

Article about the bridge demolition can be found at:
http://www.onlinesentinel.com/news/New_Sharon_bridge_eventually_collapses_after_explosion_fails_.html

I also took a number of photos of this bridge back in September 2004.
http://www.gribblenation.net/nepics/newsharon/

Back in the day when things were built to last.

[hotdogPi]

Why were they trying to remove the bridge?

[Jardine]

Decrepitude.

[PHLBOS]

Why were they trying to remove the bridge?

Excerpt from the OP's web-link:

The Maine Department of Transportation told New Sharon selectmen in November that the bridge was in danger of collapsing, and the state would pay to remove it. The structure had significant cracks in the abutments, according to the transportation department.

If the town had rejected the department's offer to demolish the bridge, which has been closed for two decades, and it had collapsed on its own, the town would have been responsible for cleanup costs and any damage downstream.