Controlled explosion at Elizabeth dam happens after multiple delays from high winds
ELIZABETH, Pa. (KDKA) - A controlled explosion that happened Wednesday evening after multiple delays was the first step in removing a dam in Elizabeth.
The high wind created challenges for crews. Dozens of people lined the Elizabeth Bridge and the shoreline, anxiously waiting for the explosion at Monongahela Lock and Dam 3, which has been in place since 1907.
Carl and Barbra Rainey said it was a "once in a lifetime" event they wanted to see, but there was a lot of waiting.
"We came and left and came back and we were here at 11 something and then we stayed for a while then we went shopping, went home, came back, just got something to eat down at the pizza shop," Carl said.
"Since we spent all this time here, we thought we mine as well wait for the end," he added.
The Army Corps of Engineers called it a historic moment for them. Removing a 50-foot section of the dam is the first step in removing and equalizing the river level on each side. The demolition is one of 14 that will happen over the next few weeks. It's all part of the Lower Mon Project, which is aimed at improving navigation on the rivers.
The Army Corps of Engineers said it's the oldest operating lock in their inventory and its poor structural condition is another reason for removing it.
Once the dam is totally removed, the locks will also be removed, allowing river traffic to use the center of the river to pass through rather than using locks. The water, with the dam in place, has about a 6-foot difference on each side but once the removal is done, the river is expected to even out.
It'll create a continuous pool of riverway stretching about 30 miles. Plans are already in place in Elizabeth for new and improved upgrades.
"We're talking about making riverwalks all the way up here like you see on the North Shore," said Elizabeth Mayor Barry Boucher.
"We have a nice old town here, they could come grab a sandwich and beer or soda -- enjoy our town, pretty little place," the mayor added.
For those in the area, the construction engineer said it would sound like a firework, but there wouldn't be any type of vibration.
"There are a total of 156 individual blast holes ranging in depth from 13 feet to five feet because of the geometry of the dam," said Kirk McWilliams, the construction area engineer. "They're loaded with very small explosive charges. Actually, they're all linked together through a series of delays they're called so that once the shot fires, they're going to explode in rapid succession."