Kanawha Pedestrian Bridge to be Removed this Weekend

Demolition crews will begin removing the pedestrian bridge connecting Kanawha Plaza to Dominion Plaza starting at 6 p.m. tonight. That’s when Canal Street will be closed between 7th and 8th Streets, and removal of the bridge will begin between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. Drivers on 8th Street will still be able to turn left onto the Manchester Bridge. Removal is expected to be completed by late Sunday.

Prior to removing the bridge, preparatory work will include installing protective measures to prevent pedestrian access during demolition. Once the road is closed, crews will mobilize equipment, install shoring to support the bridge, and place protection on the road and sidewalks beneath it.

The first step is for a crane to break the north end of the bridge free, where the bridge ties into Dominion Plaza. Then the rest of the bridge will be removed using a CAT excavator. All debris will be hauled away and disposed of at the Cox Recycling Center. After the bridge is down, all materials will be removed and the road will be cleaned in time for Monday morning traffic.

The removal comes one week after Mayor Dwight C. Jones kicked off renovation of the 2.8 acre urban park located downtown on two city blocks surrounded by office towers. Over the past week, demolition crews have removed exterior walls that hampered sight lines across the park, have graded the site, and have preserved personalized bricks for reuse in the renovated park.

A public/private partnership allows for the restoration of this under-utilized downtown jewel and equally important to the long-term success of the park is improving access from neighboring streets. The renovation includes the retention and repair of the plaza’s fountain, large green space and landscaping improvements, canopies and a food truck area.