Blasting of piers delayed, canceled by rising river

Remaining concrete piers on the old Mississippi River bridge at Cape Girardeau won't be blasted this week, Missouri Department of Transportation officials said Tuesday. An underwater blast to remove the rest of Pier 2 near the navigation channel, scheduled for Tuesday night, was canceled because of the rising river, MoDOT construction inspector Rick Lamb said. The piers must be drilled and packed with explosives. The pipes used in the drilling aren't long enough to handle a higher water level, Lamb said. The pier -- partially destroyed by a previous blast -- now will be demolished with a large excavator, he said. A blast scheduled for noon Friday on Pier 3, the remaining pier in the river, also has been canceled. It will be rescheduled at a later date, Lamb said.