Decades-old Springdale smokestacks imploded on Friday morning

SPRINGDALE, Pa. (KDKA) - The skyline in Springdale now looks a little bit different as the two famous smokestacks from the former power plant came tumbling down with a boom and a crash. 

WATCH: Springdale Smokestacks Implosion

On Friday morning, residents and onlookers gathered in Springdale and in other nearby communities to watch as the two massive smokestacks came down. 

The two stacks at the former Cheswick Power Plant had been standing over 550 and 750 feet high in the valley since the early 1970s and many local residents, while excited for the implosion, were sad to see them go. 

Folks like Eric Tabacek, who grew up in Springdale but now lives in Maryland, said he drove four hours just to meet up with friends from high school to watch these pillars of the community come down. 

"This is an event for us," he said. "In town, there isn't much to do here anymore. But I have a lot of friends in town and I told everyone months ago when I hear that they were going to implode them, I said, let's all get together and have a big implosion party here."

While Tabacek was excited by the event and to see his friends, he did express a feeling of melancholy and said that coming back to town just won't be the same. 

"We can see them from the turnpike when we come in," he explained. "My son is going to miss them. My son remembers them. He wants me to take pictures and send them back to him, but it will be different. I don't know what's going in here, a battery recycling or whatever, but it will be different."

There was a debris field that was actually caused by the larger of the two stacks, and that debris shot out onto Pittsburgh Street in Springdale. 

Crews are working to clean up the scene and we're working to learn the extent of the damage caused. One house has several broken windows and is covered in debris.

Police said Springdale Road will be closed until 6 p.m. 

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