Watch Illinois DOT Implode Section of Peoria’s McClugage Bridge (Video)

Two out of the eight planned demolitions have successfully taken down sections of the old eastbound McClugage Bridge linking Peoria and East Peoria in Illinois.
The initial explosion on March 27 used explosives set in seamless metal sheets shaped like an inverted “V,” which are known as linear shaped charges.
For a detailed video explaining the implosion and its process, please refer to the end of this article.
The second controlled blast on April 9 targeted a portion of the underdeck truss on the Peoria end of the bridge. The upcoming demolition schedule includes the following blasts, with the dates for the final two blasts to dismantle multiple piers yet to be announced:

– Week of April 28: removal of the main truss
– Week of May 5: demolition of additional steel girders and the remaining underdeck truss
– Week of May 12: destruction of the final steel girders

The eastbound McClugage Bridge, over 70 years old and accommodating 20,000 daily trips, has been replaced with a new two-lane bridge for eastbound traffic. The westbound traffic continues to use the three-lane bridge constructed in 1982, which will not be affected.
Construction of the new eastbound bridge, located to the north of the original bridges, commenced in 2019 and concluded in 2024. The Illinois Department of Transportation oversaw the construction of the new eastbound McClugage Bridge, with Johnson Brothers Corporation serving as the primary contractor.