South Omaha Veterans Memorial Bridge

Post by **nebugeater** » Thu Oct 01, 2009 6:10 am

Nice photos

That section of steel that has no deck on it in your last photo came down by crane on late Tuesday afternoon. Sure looks strange now and even though I am sure they know what they are doing the stability just does not "look" right!

On Sunday morning Gibson Road will be closed from 7 Am - 11 AM. The word is that they are going to take down a portion of the Nebraska side with some explosives. I am guessing that it will be from Gibson towards the river based on the fact that they have added mound of dirt every so far. Looks to be set so that there is a place for the main structure to land. I guessing 3 or 4 M80's and the whole thing will go!!! It will be interesting to see of there is any explosives used from the opening cut ti 13th street. From the looks of the prep work I am guess this will come down in pieces like the section that has been removed. Some of the precuts seem to be done.

Post by **Brad** » Sun Oct 04, 2009 6:40 pm

Implosion Day
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4.

Post by **nebugeater** » Sun Oct 04, 2009 7:33 pm

Thanks Brad, Nice stuff

I was going to be down there this AM on the plant side of the road closure but I was at work from 6:30 AM to 7PM yesterday and going back down early this AM to get in before the road closure was not in the cards. Nice to see a bit of what today looked like. Be interesting to see what has been done by Monday AM. When I left @ 7 on Sat evening they were all over the bridge rigging charges with detonating wires hanging down for connections this AM I assume.

Post by **Brad** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 10:50 pm

Looks like the main span is almost done. On the south side its connected all the way across. The north side looks like only a piece or two left.

Post by **Brad** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 9:59 pm

Aerial Update
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Post by **nebugeater** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 5:47 am

Wow, from the air the size difference is amazing. In comparision it is hard to think of the old bridge as a two lane road.

Post by **Brad** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 3:54 pm

nebugeater wrote:Wow, from the air the size difference is amazing. In comparision it is hard to think of the old bridge as a two lane road.

Its incredible! The 8' wide bike lane will be great too!

fbx · Post by **fbx** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 1:28 pm

Just to update everyone, we hauled in 31 bridge beams this past week. There are only 11 beams left to bring in. We are just waiting for the abutment to be built.

Post by **Admin** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 2:23 pm

Thanks for that update fbx

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 2:28 pm

Obviously it isn't structurally necessary, but I wish the truss section of the new bridge extended as far east as the old one (see Brad's photo below). It looks kind of strange having it stop short of the Iowa shore.

Post by **Brad** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 7:37 pm

Quick Shot from Tonight:

windsor · Post by **windsor** » Fri Jan 08, 2010 2:33 pm

Does anyone know if they have made any progress on the bridge with the winter we have had?

Post by **nebugeater** » Fri Jan 08, 2010 2:45 pm

windsor wrote:Does anyone know if they have made any progress on the bridge with the winter we have had?

They have been working on it almost every day up to Christmas, and even a little bit beyond. The concrete spans are all in except for the last section that will tie in the the 13th street interchange. The pilings on that end are in progress. They have also been working on the joints and decking prep on the areas that were recently put up. there have been very few days were some work hasn't been taken place up until the current cold spell. I the patter holds they will be back at it as soon as the temp is above 20 or so. There have def. been some days where I would not want the jobs that they were doing in the conditions they were working.

windsor · Post by **windsor** » Fri Jan 08, 2010 2:51 pm

Thanks for your update. I would not want to be up there in this cold either.

fbx · Post by **fbx** » Mon Jan 11, 2010 8:54 am

This weather has been bad for all of us. Especially given the fact that we were supposed to start hauling beams for the amelia earhart bridge a month ago.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Mon Jan 11, 2010 2:46 pm

"amelia earhart bridge"?

Post by **Brad** » Mon Jan 11, 2010 2:47 pm

StreetsOfOmaha wrote:"amelia earhart bridge"?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelia_Earhart_Bridge

I think he works for the company that makes the precast "I" beams.

fbx · Post by **fbx** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 9:09 am

Brad wrote:
StreetsOfOmaha wrote:"amelia earhart bridge"?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelia_Earhart_Bridge

I think he works for the company that makes the precast "I" beams.

That's the bridge.

Actually, I work for the company that hauls them.

Post by **nebugeater** » Thu Jan 14, 2010 2:37 pm

For what it is worth they have been working on the bridge again since Monday. Working on th edeck so it is ready to pour as weather permits and the interface with 13th st from what I can see every day this week.

fbx · Post by **fbx** » Sat Jan 30, 2010 12:05 pm

If the dirt work gets finished on time and the weather is good, we are scheduled for delivery of the last 11 beams on Wednesday and Thursday.

fbx · Post by **fbx** » Thu Feb 04, 2010 6:41 am

Ten of the beams were delivered yesterday. The last beam will be loaded and delivered this morning.

*UPDATE* Last beam delivery has been cancelled due to the weather.

Post by **Brad** » Wed Feb 10, 2010 10:47 am

Did they ever get the last section up then?

Post by **nebugeater** » Wed Feb 10, 2010 12:00 pm

The last beam was not in place as of Monday noon. Have been traveling for work since then so don't know beyond that.[/u]

fbx · Post by **fbx** » Wed Feb 10, 2010 5:07 pm

We finally got the last beam delivered and set this morning.

Post by **Brad** » Mon Feb 22, 2010 10:17 pm

Bridge to be IMPLODED tomorrow 2/23/2009 Between 10 am and Noon!

Post by **nebugeater** » Tue Feb 23, 2010 6:22 am

From the 2/23 OWH
http://www.omaha.com/article/20100223/NEWS01/702239912

It looks like the new span will be open by the CWS. This is a lot sooner than any date I had heard reported before.

The steel skeleton of the Veterans Memorial Bridge is slated to plunge today into the murky Missouri River it has spanned for more than 70 years.

About 600 feet of the bridge on the Nebraska side of the river is scheduled for demolition between 10 a.m. and noon.

Crews are setting explosive charges on the south Omaha bridge so the structure breaks up into several large chunks. Those hunks of steel then will be fished out of the river by two cranes on barges.

The bridge, which opened in 1936, is being replaced by a new, $88 million bridge nearby. Construction of the new bridge is scheduled to be completed by June 1, just in time for the last College World Series at nearby Rosenblatt Stadium

The plan is to blast the bottom of the 600-foot span into 14 sections. Those sections will be kept together by the top of the bridge. Crews will finish separating the 14 sections with blow torches after the bridge is in the water.

Zelensky said the bridge is 40 feet high, and the water in that area is only 20 feet deep. Under Coast Guard rules, the debris must be removed within 48 hours.

Seth · Post by **Seth** » Tue Feb 23, 2010 9:46 am

Crews will finish separating the 14 sections with blow torches after the bridge is in the water.

I know it's a senselessly picky detail, but unless you're in England, a "blow torch" is a low-temperature heating device, not a high-temperature oxy-fuel cutting torch. Couldn't these journalists at least look it up on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blow_torch ? Or at least explain that the remains will be removed with lorries!

Post by **Brad** » Tue Feb 23, 2010 2:45 pm

Implosion Video:
http://www.ketv.com/video/22646211/index.html

fbx · Post by **fbx** » Wed Feb 24, 2010 2:21 pm

nebugeater wrote:From the 2/23 OWH
http://www.omaha.com/article/20100223/NEWS01/702239912

It looks like the new span will be open by the CWS. This is a lot sooner than any date I had heard reported before.

Since the bridge was started, we have been expecting to finish and open it by May or June. It could probably be finished sooner if the weather cooperates.

Post by **Brad** » Wed Mar 10, 2010 10:22 am

Another cool video:

One of my co-workers said they will blow the other half up today between 3 and 4.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 10:27 am

That is a cool video, Brad. Thanks for posting.

Obviously I'm no expert on demolition, so could someone who might know explain why this was the best option, and how it was environmentally permissible to blow the bridge up and have all the debris just fall down into the River?

Post by **Brad** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 10:32 am

They took the concrete off so it was just metal and then they pull it out in large chunks. Finally the sweep the bottom of the river with a magnet. Its really safe for the environment. They also do it this time of the year when the river is really low.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 10:34 am

Cool. Thanks for the info!

Post by **nebugeater** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 11:22 am

There permit also required that they had everything out of the river in 48 hours. When I came by the two mornings after it was blown they were working with all kinds of lights set up by 5AM. probably worked all night.

In some respects they just set the steel down in the river where they could deal with it easier rather than blocking the river channel with cranes taking it down a piece at a time.

The remaining part on the Nebraska sides seems to be be being lifted down in pieces and not being prepared to be blown up. We will see.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 12:02 pm

Also, how do they get it out of the river? Cranes on the river bank?

Post by **nebugeater** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 12:52 pm

StreetsOfOmaha wrote:Also, how do they get it out of the river? Cranes on the river bank?

They were using the floating Derek cranes in combination with a couple of track cranes on the bank.

Post by **Brad** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 1:49 pm

nebugeater wrote:
StreetsOfOmaha wrote:Also, how do they get it out of the river? Cranes on the river bank?
They were using the floating Derek cranes in combination with a couple of track cranes on the bank.

Just like when they built the ped bridge, they had the floating one.

Post by **nebugeater** » Tue Mar 16, 2010 3:22 pm

Little heads up for anyone that cares

On Thursday March 18,2010, the remaining portion of the existing South Omaha Memorial Bridge will be removed through the use of explosives. ill order to complete the demolition and removal of the structure, Gibson Road from 13th Street to Lower Missouri Avenue will be closed for a half hour The closure will begin at 3:45 P.M. and last until 4: 15 P.M. when the charges are to be detonated

Post by **Brad** » Tue Mar 16, 2010 4:46 pm

Did they ever blow up the other 1/2 of the river span? I know I posted that they were going to, but I never saw a news story that they actually did.

Bosco55David · Post by **Bosco55David** » Tue Mar 16, 2010 5:49 pm

Brad wrote:Did they ever blow up the other 1/2 of the river span? I know I posted that they were going to, but I never saw a news story that they actually did.

You're 2 days early. Read the post above yours. :mrgreen: