A support pier of the old Yazoo River bridge was dynamited Thursday, the second portion to be blasted. Final demolition of the superstructure is expected in a few weeks.

The bridge was built in 1950 and U.S. 61 and drivers now cross the river in Redwood via a new, overpass-styled bridge completed in April.

Traffic was halted for about 30 minutes Thursday, with a single blast occurring at 10 a.m. Formal traffic advisories are not expected from the Mississippi Department of Transportation as the project winds up.

The center portions of the scenic, steel bridge were blown up Tuesday. Crews cleared debris from the river in time for subsequent demolition.

The new, 1,300-foot bridge has two 12-foot lanes and is 40 feet from side to side, which is 14 feet wider than the old one. A pair of 8-foot shoulders flank each lane, unlike the old bridge, which had no relief lanes.

The project to build the new bridge and take down the old one began in 2006 and cost $33.5 million.

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Contact Danny Barrett Jr. at dbarrett@vicksburgpost.com