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Crews Begin Clean-Up Of Greenfield Bridge Debris

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The city has been planning the Greenfield Bridge implosion for years, and now, they're working to clear it out and build a new one.

It was roughly 9:20 a.m. when the green light was given and boom went the dynamite.

When the dust cleared, the Greenfield Bridge, which was more than 90 years old, was decimated.

"It seemed like it fared well," said PennDOT Dist. 11 asst. executive Jim Foringer.

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The clean-up commenced immediately. Taking the bridge down and the dangers it presented are just half the battle. Clean-up is also fraught with peril.

"You're never quite sure how stable things are when they fall that far," said Derrick Jeannerette with Mosites Construction.

At night and high above the rubble from the Greenfield side, you can see how small human beings are relative to the wreckage that surrounds them. Removing the tangle of steel and concrete requires a careful plan.

"Everybody knows where they are and what they're doing, and yes, their head does have to be on a swivel," Jennerette said. "There's not a whole lot of space down there. You have to be careful, when you're shearing and cutting this that nothing falls unexpectedly against a cab or an excavator, that's the biggest thing."

In the demolition game, you don't rush. It's not worth it. But the Parkway must be ready to go by Friday at 6 a.m. If not, that's cash out of the contractor's pocket. The clock is ticking.

"Absolutely, we'll be ready," Jennerette said.

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