Four unique finials on Bellaire Bridge could add $320,000 to salvage profits.
Until now, the battle between Lee Chaklos of Delta Demolition and Eric Kelly of Advanced Explosive Demolition has been a public spat over who owns the Bellaire Bridge and, therefore, who gets to press the button to fell the structure when the US Coast Guard gives the green light.
But a new discovery is set to make the fight now taking place in a US court even more bitter. On the top of the bridge are four finials that are unique to this bridge. Some say there are no others like them in the world. And they are the hottest commodities in this project.
“I’ve had over 30 inquiries about it,” Chaklos said. “Anywhere from ‘Can we get them donated to us?’ to ‘We’ll pay you thousands of dollars for them.'”
From the ground, the finials don’t look that big. But Lee Chaklos, of Delta Demolition, said each one probably weighs a ton. And there’s no one left who knows about them.
“No one’s touched them since 1924, or probably 1926 when they were put on top of the bridge,” he said. “They’re located about 103 feet above the surface of the bridge. We believe they’re about 7 feet high and about six and a half feet around.”
If they’re metal, Lee Chaklos said they’re valuable as antique ornamental pieces, but if they’re copper, they’re off the charts. “If they’re solid copper, which we think they are, they’re probably worth about $80,000 apiece,” he said.
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