Demolition crews bring down Missouri River bridge (VIDEO)

Old Amelia Earhart bridge implodes

October 9, 2013 at 9:32 p.m. | Updated October 9, 2013 at 9:32 p.m.

The old U.S. 59 Amelia Earhart Memorial Bridge spanning the Missouri River at Atchison, Ks., is blasted apart on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2013, sending the steel trusses into the water below. Workers were scheduled to begin removal of debris from the river immediately. Two more blasts are planned for Oct. 11, and Oct 29, to remove the bridge piers. The new Earhart Memorial Bridge is directly behind the old bridge and a railroad bridge is in the foreground.
The old U.S. 59 Amelia Earhart Memorial Bridge spanning the Missouri River at Atchison, Ks., is blasted apart on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2013, sending the steel trusses into the water below. Workers were scheduled to begin removal of debris from the river immediately. Two more blasts are planned for Oct. 11, and Oct 29, to remove the bridge piers. The new Earhart Memorial Bridge is directly behind the old bridge and a railroad bridge is in the foreground.

ATCHISON, Kan. (AP) - Demolition crews brought down the Amelia Earhart bridge that connected Kansas and Missouri for more than 70 years.

A spokeswoman for the Kansas Department of Transportation says Wednesday's implosion of the two-lane bridge, which was built in 1938, went off without any problems. The bridge connected Atchison, Kan., with Winthrop, Mo.

The bridge's steel structure fell into the river within seconds after the explosion. The bridge deck had already been removed.

Demolition crews will use explosives twice more to remove bridge piers from the Missouri River.

A new four-lane Ameila Earhart Memorial Bridge opened in December to replace the old bridge.

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