Charges detonated shortly after 10 a.m. created puffs of smoke – but no collapse. The steel from the bridge was supposed to fall into the Arkansas River within minutes and a cleanup crew was going to move in and begin to pull debris from the water. However, the bridge did not fall as planned.
The Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department determined that nothing went wrong, except the bridge didn't fall. A crew was sent up in a "man basket" to inspect the charges on the steel beams.
AHTD said all the charges detonated and all the cuts worked as they should have, but the bridge is in a bind and falling into itself.
AHTD tried to use tugs and cables to pull the bridge down. The eighth attempt at pulling down the bridge finally worked and it came crashing down into the Arkansas River at 2:50 p.m.
