Commercial Street Bridge Demolished in Explosive Implosion on Parkway East The Commercial Street Bridge on Parkway East was reduced to rubble following an explosive demolition early Thursday morning, marking the completion of a long-anticipated project to replace the aging structure. The implosion, which occurred around 8 a.m., brought down the bridge in seconds, as crews worked to clear the area ahead of the new bridge’s installation. The demolition had initially been scheduled for a window between 1 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Wednesday, but was postponed shortly before 8:30 p.m. due to dwindling daylight, according to PennDOT District 11 Executive Jason Zang. Zang explained during a live interview with KDKA-TV Morning News that the delay was necessary to ensure the safety of the operation. “There’s only one Commercial Street Bridge in the whole, wide world and this is the one they’re working on,” he said, emphasizing the team’s commitment to completing the project as swiftly as possible. The demolition was part of a larger effort to replace the bridge amid a 25-day closure of Parkway East between the Edgewood/Swissvale and Squirrel Hill exits. Once the existing bridge is removed, PennDOT plans to slide the newly constructed bridge into place. This process, however, will take time, with the structure moving approximately 19 feet per hour. Authorities described the project as one of the largest lateral slide operations in Pennsylvania’s history. Giselle Hamad, a spectator who arrived to witness the event, called the engineering feat “a once-in-a-lifetime event.” She and many others gathered to watch the demolition, though the 800-foot safety restriction around the blast site prevented onlookers from seeing the actual explosion.#commercial_street_bridge #parkway_east #penndot_district_11 #jason_zang #kdkatv_morning_news
