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[personal profile] maugorn
It was slightly disappointing to have to go to the WW Bridge destruction alone, but it turned out for the best as Serendipity found me some excellent seats.

My first thought was to go to Jones Point Park, since there is an excellent view of the bridge span from there.

Unfortunately the kind Alexandria Police officer who was there showed me that the part of the bridge that they were blowing up was behind the treeline. The part of the park that would have the good view was now the construction site and access to that was strictly off limits.
He said people were being allowed onto the Washington St Bridge to view the destruction.

So I found a place to park that was just past easy walking distance and made my way to the throngs on the bridge.

Unfortunately also, since that bridge is being widened on the side that would have had the good view, you had to stand on the other side where you couldn't see very well either. Grr!

But then, I saw the people on that OTHER side of the bridge milling about just as if they were going to be led to a place where you can see better. "Maybe I could become one of those people" I thought. You wouldn't expect a casually clad middle-aged overweight longhair to be able to just crash a special viewing party, but that's exactly what I did. They hadn't advertised it anywhere, and I get the feeling that it was mostly for the respective Contractors' families and guests, but I got in almost at the end of the line just when the guy with the hard hat and the clipboard said "Okay, we're cutting the line off soon, so I only have room for a couple more people." He pointed to me and asked "How many with you?"
Since the last two people he spoke with had said things like "Five" and "Six", and "more are arriving later, can they get in too?" I took a stab that he would be so happy that I said "One" that he wouldn't care where I came from and/or whom I was with. I was right.
Score!
All I had to do now was sign this waiver thingy that basically implied that if I got blowed up or crushed by construction equipment that it was my own dang fault for being there under my own free will.
No problem there.
So we got led thru a special walkway thru the construction sight to climb up some metal stairs to a "viewing platform" with a better POV than I could have imagined. There it all was, big bits of bare metal with stuff draped around it in the semi dark.
And then we waited.
(It was barely 11:00 and the event was scheduled for 11:59)
And waited
At 11:45, the Beltway was supposed to be shut down. But the nice gal with the hardhat, camera and satellite phone said that they were having trouble "clearing" the safety zone.
Apparently others, also malcontent with the sanctioned view, had infiltrated the nearby parkland and the adjacent cemetery. We watched as hard-hatted workers and cops with big flashlights flushed them out. They even searched up in the trees.
Eventually that action wound down and then we waited for the traffic to be stopped.
It took awhile to clear it all out, and so we waited-
As they FINALLY shut down the Outer Loop of the Beltway.
And waited-
As they just couldn't seem to stop the flow of cars coming from Maryland
OR keep them from stopping on the bridge right next to the "blast zone".
And so we waited-
As more and more groups of twenty or so cars came crawling across the bridge with the inevitable handful trying to stop.
And waited-
As some yahoo walked ONTO the bridge and was escorted off.
And waited-
As the very last handful of cars were shepherded off by a VDOT truck with flashing yellow lights.
And ONE LAST DAMN CAR was "escorted" by an annoyed state trooper.
And finally...
Cop cars went back and forth over each span making absolutely positively sure that there were no more yahoos-
(and guiltily enjoyed driving the wrong way down the center of their respective spans I'm sure)

Then there was a pregnant pause when suddenly-
A couple of handheld airhorns called and responded.
And another pause
When a GIGANTIC airhorn blew three blasts
And then one more two minutes later
And FINALLY-

It was not so much an earth shattering kaboom.
It was more like a gigantic machine gun going off and melting down:
KRACKBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMblamblambleRUMBLECRUMPHHHHHHHHHT

The echoes were amazing.

And a 1/4 mile stretch of metal beams lit up all crackly like a poptart wrapper in a mircrowave and then was consumed by a big dust cloud as it started to collapse.
I got to see one very tall piece fall over like a big tree and then nothing but dust cloud.

All in all one of the largest problems they had was the size of the crowd that came to watch.
They weren't prepared for that or for how drunk and rowdy they'd be on a Monday night.
And VDOT got their part of the show right, but MD made NO friends, as they caused the delay and the highway closures to last an extra half hour.

And I'm really happy that I got my excellent spot to see it, even if it meant standing for an hour and a half.

Eventually, I found the car again, and got home safely. Traffic was fine by the time I was on the road.

Overall, a three star show (it would have been more without the delay, with company, and with more of a narrative), but still quite worth the late night.

And while I was there, I took a couple of cruises up and down past my old haunts on King Street. While I really treasure the life I have now and the quality therein since I've been freed from having to be out there nearly every weekend and in nearly every weather, I have to confess that a very deep part of me still misses being able to go and play my heart out for 14 hours straight and still not get to every song I wished I could play.

Counting my tips last Sunday from Clipper City and adding them to my regular pay, it added up to an above average day in Old Town. But after an only two hour gig, I always feel so unfinished.

2006-08-29 16:47 (UTC)
- Posted by [identity profile] vvalkyri.livejournal.com
Thank you for writing this up. I was asleep by then, and happy for it, but it was a really nice read, and I'm glad you were there.

2006-08-29 17:22 (UTC)
- Posted by [identity profile] silmaril.livejournal.com
Might not have been an earth-shatterin kaboom, but your transcription of the sound was effective nonetheless. Thanks for sharing.

Nice desc!

2006-08-29 19:46 (UTC)
- Posted by [identity profile] https://users.livejournal.com/-complex-/
Thanks, you gave a real nice description! I like how you worked the system.

So what's the deal, now they have to lift out the sunken bridge parts?

Re: Nice desc!

2006-08-29 20:12 (UTC)
- Posted by [identity profile] maugorn.livejournal.com
Thanks.

The portion of the bridge they blew up was basically the metal parts of the bridge that lead up to the edge of the water. There is a portion of the bridge over the water that they left intact for equipment movement and storage, but they needed the Alexandria land portion gone so that they can begin building the new span in earnest. The remaining parts over the water (if I understand correctly) they'll be gingerly dismantling and getting rid of as they go, hopefully recyclying and augmenting some of the foundation to reduce the amount of dredging and impact on the Potomac.

Meanwhile, back on land, they now have a big heap of twisted metal that they have to haul away. But it's all on land, so they don't have to go diving for it.

Destuction of a hated landmark

2006-09-03 18:04 (UTC)
- Posted by [identity profile] anniemal.livejournal.com
That does sound like it was fun. I am still woefully behind on my friends list, or I'd have considered catching it w/you. Oh, well. I too enjoyed your description mightily. Possibly more than Iwould've enjoyed being there, as I'm not keen on crowds and lound noises.

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