Several people gathered on the city's Broadway Bridge to take in the spectacle. The first phase of the Traffic Bridge's demolition began with a blast shortly after 9 a.m. CST. The bridge that has been closed since 2010 is more than 100 years of age.
By 8:50 a.m., families, kids and a couple of pet dogs waited eagerly. The west sidewalk of the bridge was packed with individuals bundled tightly in the biting cold: -23 C that felt like -30 C in the wind. Individuals seeking after a good vantage point remained on the concrete barrier isolating the roadway from the sidewalk. Along with the spectators, there were about a dozen of videographers and picture takers with their lenses prepared on the demolition site, wanting to record a piece of the city's history.
The tear-down of the structure will proceed through the winter, with another bridge set for completion in 2018. The city says construction is expected to start this late spring, once debris from the demolished bridge is gathered from the South Saskatchewan River.
Three minutes before the blast, a series of short sirens flagged that the explosive charges were prepared to explode. The blast was a quick, yet loud one. The sound resounded all through the downtown area.
The bridge's two southern areas were quickly isolated from its piers and came slamming down onto the temporary berm built beneath the bridge. The effect conveyed a huge plume of smoke that gradually dissipated. The two bridge sections will in the end be pulled away for recycling.
The Traffic Bridge, otherwise called the Victoria Bridge, was closed in August 2010 because of public security concerns. It opened on Oct. 10, 1907 when it turned into Saskatoon's first bridge for foot and vehicle traffic. According to the city notes on the historical backdrop of the bridge, it was built at the insistence of the people of what was then a separate community Nutana that wanted a better way across the river than the existing ferry.
The bridge was built at the cost of $106,000 and was paid for by the provincial government.
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