Bridge cost $66,000 to build in 1893; $672,222 to demolish in 2011.
In an object lesson in the economic effects of inflation and the passage of time, Joseph B. Fay Co. of Tarentum has today imploded the Bridgeport Bridge spanning the Ohio River at a cost of $672,222. The bridge was built 118 years ago at a total cost of less than $66,000.
Standing since 1893, the old span was demolished this morning with a large crowd of onlookers gathering to watch the event. Preparations for its removal had been under way for weeks, and workers were still on the site during the weekend.
A more serviceable bridge – not having outstanding decorative finials atop it – has been used by motorists and pedestrians since its completion in 1997. The Military Order of the Purple Heart Bridge was built alongside its predecessor to span the back channel of the Ohio River.
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