Demolition of old Rulo bridge began Sunday

RULO, Neb. (AP) - The demolition of the historic Rulo bridge attracted several hundred spectators.

The Lincoln Journal Star reports (https://bit.ly/1kNK6pf ) the first span fell into the river shortly the explosions went off around 8 a.m. Sunday.

Before the blast, authorities blocked traffic on both sides of the bride, and BNSF railroad halted traffic on its tracks nearby.

Mike Habegger, who is overseeing the bridge demolition, estimated that between 400 and 500 people watched the blast.

Spectator Lou Ann Adams of Falls City says she’ll miss the sight of the old Rulo bridge.

A new, wider bridge opened last fall to connect southeast Nebraska and northwest Missouri on U.S. Highway 159.

The Jensen Construction Co. of Des Moines, Iowa, still has to remove two more spans before the $1.73 million bridge demolition is complete.

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Information from: Lincoln Journal Star, https://www.journalstar.com