Watch 116 Excavators Demolish a Chinese Bridge
No one can say China doesn’t go HAM on road projects. Last year it replaced a humongous bridge in less than two days, and this winter rotated two highway overpasses 90 degrees in about 90 minutes.
This latest example of powerhouse construction tactics might take the cake, though. Over the weekend, 116 excavators lined up in two rows and, with an almost balletic coordination, totally dismantled a 1,640-foot bridge in Jiangxi. Reuters reports via CCTV:
The project began at 10:30 p.m. local time [on Friday] with the main structure of the overpass being demolished by the end of the night, state broadcaster CCTV reported. With car ownership on the rise, the 24-year-old two-lane overpass could no longer sustain the amount of traffic travelling on it CCTV added, so local officials decided it was time to tear it down. The overpass also needed to be demolished to help make way for a subway system, CCTV said, without giving further details. The demolition and clearing project was scheduled to be completed within 56 hours, so the area could be reopened to the public on Monday morning.
CCTV’s audio doesn’t start until halfway through its video, so feel free to watch this mashup instead with the appropriate music.