Extra blast needed to bring down span

It took two blasts to dismantle the remaining steel wreckage of the old Mississippi River bridge Wednesday. The initial 7 a.m. blast dropped much of the last span into the water, but a small section still rested against a concrete pier.

Demolition contractor Scott Gustafson said a few of the explosive charges apparently failed to detonate because of a damaged detonating wire. The demolition crew blasted the remaining section at about 12:50 p.m., cutting through some of the remaining steel beams, but failing to drop the partial structure any lower in the water.

Read Thursday's Southeast Missourian for the full story.