[Video] 70-metre high German Autobahn bridge demolished with explosives

Wondering what it looks like when a 70-metre-high bridge is demolished using 120 kilograms of explosives? Now’s your chance. Last Sunday, authorities in Germany officially put a 55-year-old dilapidated viaduct out of operation. The sight was something of a spectacle. 

A45 Autobahn bridge put out of action with 120kg of explosives

Last Sunday at 11am, the Rinsdorf bridge on the A45 autobahn in Siegerland in North Rhine-Westphalia was successfully demolished using explosives. Measuring 500 metres long and 70 metres high, it’s the tallest bridge to have ever been blown up in Germany, according to the Federal Autobahn GmbH. 

The 55-year old bridge, which is located close to the border with Hesse, was meticulously demolished using explosives installed in 1.850 boreholes through the bridge’s 16 pillars. The detonation had to be carefully planned to avoid damaging a new bridge that had been built alongside the old one. 

Watch the German bridge go down

Numerous onlookers turned up to watch the bridge go down punctually at 11am - and were met with a curiously satisfying sight. You can watch the explosion in action below:

Video: YouTube / Guardian News

Image: PhilippJakob / Shutterstock.com