Demolition
crews will begin removing the pedestrian bridge connecting Kanawha Plaza to
Dominion
Plaza starting at 6
p.m. tonight. That’s when
Canal Street will be closed between 7
th and 8
th Streets,
and removal of the bridge will begin between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. Drivers on 8
th
Street will still be able to turn left onto the Manchester Bridge. Removal is
expected to be completed by late Sunday.
Prior
to removing the bridge, preparatory work will include installing protective
measures to prevent pedestrian access during demolition. Once the road is
closed, crews will mobilize equipment, install shoring to support the bridge,
and place protection on the road and sidewalks beneath it.
The
first step is for a crane to break the north end of the bridge free, where the
bridge ties into Dominion Plaza. Then the rest of the bridge will be removed
using a CAT excavator. All debris will be hauled away and disposed of at the
Cox Recycling Center. After the bridge is down, all materials will be removed
and the road will be cleaned in time for Monday morning traffic.
The
removal comes one week after Mayor Dwight C. Jones kicked off renovation of the
2.8 acre urban park located downtown on two city blocks surrounded by office
towers. Over the past week, demolition crews have removed exterior walls that
hampered sight lines across the park, have graded the site, and have preserved
personalized bricks for reuse in the renovated park.
A
public/private partnership allows for the restoration of this under-utilized
downtown jewel and equally important to the long-term success of the park is
improving access from neighboring streets. The renovation includes the retention
and repair of the plaza’s fountain, large green space and landscaping
improvements, canopies and a food truck area.
