Deconstructing the twin spans that carried I-74 over the Mississippi River is going to be a seven-year job. Big blasts are not planned to be part of the process.
KWQC and WQAD have news stories, neither of which I can embed, about the contractor’s decision not to have the main part of the bridges imploded. Part of the Illinois side was torn down starting in 2017 to make way for the new I-74 bridge. Now, according to the stories, demolition will continue until mid-2024.
The WQAD video report also notes that pieces of the bridge will not be available for sale, but will go to area museums.