The 93-year-old bridge in Arkansas was deemed too weak to stand.
But it turned out to be a wee bit stronger than authorities anticipated.
On Tuesday, demolition crews wired the bridge with explosives to bring it down. There were a series of booms, some puffs of black smoke, and then ... well ...
The bridge stayed put. The crowd that gathered to watch its demise was left with laughter instead of shouts of glee.
"That didn't go as planned," the highway department admitted on Twitter. It added a hashtag: #TheDayTheBridgeStoodStill.
Well, that didn't go quite as planned.... #BroadwayBridge #TheDayTheBridgeStoodStill pic.twitter.com/RFuVUYEXZ6
— AHTD (@AHTD) October 11, 2016
The bridge, which connects Little Rock and North Little Rock, was considered structurally deficient, The Associated Press reports. It should have taken about 30 seconds to collapse.
Instead, it took crews five hours to bring it down; the explosion had merely weakened the bridge, and workers ultimately attached cables to the span and pulled it down into the river.
When the delayed collapse finally came, the highway department tweeted again: "Persistence pays off!" they said.
There will be more chances for the demo crews to show off their skills — or for the bridge to demonstrate its endurance, depending on which team you're cheering for.
Three more blasts are scheduled during the six-month bridge replacement project, the AP reports.
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