Watch the Texas DOT Blow Up Two 60-Year-Old Bridges (Video)
Built in the 1950s, the two bridges have been replaced by a single span designed to increase water flow and improve driver safety...
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The Texas Department of Transportation has exploded two bridges over Wright Patman Lake in East Texas after completing a replacement bridge.
The two bridges on State Highway 8, built in the late 1950s, were replaced by a single structure designed to increase water flow and improve safety for drivers. The new 44-foot-wide bridge serves as a connection between Bowie and Cass County and includes 12-foot travel lanes and 10-foot shoulders. The previous bridges were 26 feet wide.
Watch a video of the moment the old bridges were demolished at the end of this story.
The demolition of the old bridges and building of the new structure was handled by Longview, Texas, contractor Longview Bridge and Road. Work on the new bridge began in April 2019 under a $37 million contract.
Longview Bridge and Road said altering water levels made for tough access and required intricate design and construction engineering.
Construction on the new 7,200-foot bridge required 30,000 feet of concrete piling foundation, over 42,000 feet of beams and 12,500 cubic yards of structural concrete. The new bridge opened to traffic in July 2024.
