About five hours after the initial implosion attempt, the old Broadway Bridge finally came down (Image Credit: YouTube/ @Associated Press)
The explosives went off as planned. The 93-year-old bridge, however, did not. On October 11, 2016, a demolition crew attempted to bring down Arkansas's aging Broadway Bridge with a controlled implosion, clearing the way for a new $98.4 million crossing between Little Rock and North Little Rock. Instead of collapsing into the Arkansas River, the old structure remained standing. The blasts had weakened the bridge, but parts of it fell against themselves, leaving the main span damaged yet stubbornly in place. Crews eventually had to attach cables to the structure and pull it down about five hours after the failed implosion. The unusual demolition became one of the most memorable episodes in the history of a bridge that had served central Arkansas for more than nine decades. The Encyclopedia of Arkansas records that the initial demolition attempt failed before barges and cables were used to bring down the structure later that day.
A bridge built in 1923
The Broadway Bridge was constructed to connect downtown Little Rock with what was then Argenta, now North Little Rock, across the Arkansas River. Construction began in 1920, and the bridge was completed in 1923. Its opening was treated as a major event. A week of celebrations began on March 12, 1923, followed by a grand parade attended by at least 50,000 people. The bridge was dedicated as a memorial to Arkansans who had fought and died during World War I. For decades, it carried traffic between the two cities. But the structure did not remain unchanged. In 1972, two of its concrete arches were demolished and replaced with a steel through-arch to accommodate changes associated with the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System. The modified bridge reopened in 1973.
Why it had to go
By 2016, the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department had determined that the bridge needed replacement. The old structure had served for more than 90 years, and transportation demands had changed considerably since its construction. Plans were developed for a new Broadway Bridge that would provide a modern crossing between Little Rock and North Little Rock. Massman Construction Company of Kansas City was selected to build the replacement at a cost of $98.4 million. The project was designed to replace the aging bridge while maintaining the important connection across the Arkansas River. The old Broadway Bridge was formally closed to traffic on September 28, 2016. Its demolition was supposed to mark the next step toward construction of the replacement.
The blast that failed
On the morning of October 11, demolition crews detonated explosives placed on the old bridge. The plan was straightforward: weaken key parts of the structure so that the steel arch and bridge deck would collapse in a controlled manner. The initial attempt failed. The explosives weakened the span, but parts of the bridge fell against themselves rather than dropping into the river, leaving the structure standing. Crews then had to change tactics. Instead of relying on another immediate blast, workers attached cables to the structure and used barges to pull the weakened bridge down. About five hours after the initial implosion attempt, the old Broadway Bridge finally came down.
A new chapter
The failed demolition did not derail the larger replacement project. The old bridge was eventually removed, allowing construction of its replacement to continue. According to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Massman Construction completed the new $98.4 million Broadway Bridge in just 152 days. The new span opened to traffic on March 1, 2017, less than five months after the old bridge was closed. A dedication ceremony followed on April 6, 2017, exactly 100 years after the United States entered World War I. The new bridge was dedicated to American veterans of all wars, continuing the memorial connection associated with its predecessor. The old Broadway Bridge was ultimately remembered for more than its long service. Its final moments became an unexpected piece of Arkansas history: a bridge declared ready for demolition that survived an explosive attempt to bring it down and had to be pulled down with cables and barges. For a structure that had stood over the Arkansas River since 1923, even its ending proved unusually difficult.
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