NORTH SIOUX CITY, S.D. (AP) — Half of a collapsed rail bridge connecting South Dakota and Iowa was blasted in a controlled demolition, part of the process to remove the bridge months after it fell into the river, swollen from severe flooding.
The steel bridge over the Big Sioux River connected North Sioux City, South Dakota, with Sioux City, Iowa. It was partially underwater after heavy rains in late June brought record high river crests in the two states, along with Minnesota and Nebraska.
The blast on the South Dakota side of the bridge, owned by BNSF Railway, occurred Monday morning, according to reports from broadcast station KTIV in Sioux City, Iowa. Officials established a perimeter on both sides of the river, closing nearby roads and advising people to stay away.
“At 9 a.m. local time, charges were successfully used to cut the bridge span into sections, allowing it to fall into the river for removal,” Kendall Sloan, BNSF communications director, said in a statement.