Bubble curtain used to minimise damage to marine life.
Caltrans imploded an underwater pier of the old Bay Bridge eastern span at 7:17 a.m. Saturday, triggering 22,000 pounds of dynamite to pulverize the upper portion of the structure.
Spouts of water shot skyward from the force of the blast, but the explosives detonated mostly below the waters of the bay. Caltrans had placed a wooden and steel mat on top of the 80-by-140-foot concrete pier to contain the 20 million pounds of debris.
Spectators hoping to see a towering explosion may have been disappointed — the blast heaved water about 100 feet above the pier, but little debris was visible other than the remains of the mat that had covered the structure.
Contractors employed a “bubble curtain” to protect marine wildlife.
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