The Maine Department of Transportation isn’t usually in the business of blowing up bridges. But when it came time to take down the piers for the old Beals Island Bridge, explosives did the trick.

The department on Friday released a video it produced of the Sept. 16 demolition of the old bridge, which connected the towns of Beals and Jonesport. The video includes footage filmed with drones and GoPro cameras mounted on the new bridge.

The bridge was built in 1958 to connect Jonesport to Beals Island, but could not be taken down until the new $23 million bridge was constructed next to it.

The newly constructed bridge opened to traffic on Aug. 16. At a ribbon cutting ceremony, residents of Beals and Jonesport used the original ribbons from the 1958 ribbon-cutting event.

Paul Merrill, spokesman for MDOT, said this as “the first time in a long time” that the department used explosives to demolish old bridge piers.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.