Could the Bellaire Bridge saga finally have an end in sight?
It is now 15 months since we first reported that the Bellaire Interstate Toll Bridge was scheduled for imminent demolition. But now, having taken more twists and turns than a snake in a maze, that story now looks set to come to an end once and for all in November.
Lee Chaklos, field operations coordinator for Delta Demolition, purchased the bridge in 2010. He says there will be three main phases to the demolition process. The first will be to remove the deck of the bridge, the toll shacks and corrugated tin, steel grating and then remove the ramp in Benwood by cutting away the concrete leaving only the spans of the bridge. Plans for the second phase are to remove the center section of the bridge by controlled explosions, dropping the pieces into the Ohio River. From there, Chaklos said they will have 24 hours to remove it from the water. Cranes on boats will lift the pieces out of the water.
The pieces will have to be small enough for the cranes to pick up, which he said will weigh at least 30 tons a piece. The final phase will be the removal of the rest of the structure.
When asked about when he planned to have the bridge down, Chaklos said he was shooting for November.
“The original court order says that the bridge has to be out of there by Dec. 21, 2011,” Chaklos said. “We’ve already got the federal judge to sign off on the motion to order this thing down, but I didn’t want to hit the federal judge up for another extension. This man has heard extensions after extensions. We’ve got to show him something before he goes and extends it.”
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