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New Yorkers have eagerly awaited the demolition of the old Kosciuszko Bridge for months. Last winter, news broke that the 78-year-old structure would be demolished by way of explosives. When a new bridge of the same name made its debut above Newtown Creek last April, explosion-lovers across the city simply couldn't wait for the obsolete piece of American infrastructure to meet its fiery demise.
In July, the first phase of the bridge's demolition was completed, which involved no explosions whatsoever. Instead, the center span was lowered onto a barge, and shipped to a scrapyard in New Jersey. The two remaining approach sections, however, would require a good old-fashioned kaboom—and New Yorkers got just that on Sunday morning.
The demolition (shown in the video above) included 944 charges strategically placed across the two remaining sections, and was aided by more than 1,600 cuts in the bridge's steel. A total of 20 steel truss spans dropped to the ground in a job that caused minimal dust and no flying debris, according to Governor Andrew Cuomo's office.
The event was the first time in the history of New York City that a bridge was demolished by way of explosives, and it is so damn satisfying to watch. Cuomo's office even whipped out its brand new drone to capture the scene in all of its beauty.
In a year filled with subway delays, protests and all-time high rents, this video of a defunct bridge get blown to bits is exactly what New York needs right now.