Wilson Bridge Demolition Postponed

The plan to blow up a portion of the old Wilson Bridge in order to make way for construction of the second new span has been pushed back a few days, project officials announced today.

Detonation of the nearly half-mile stretch of steel girders that supported the old bridge over Jones Point Park in Alexandria is now scheduled for 11:59 p.m., Aug. 29. The take-down had been scheduled for midnight Thursday, but the contractor needed a little more time to prepare the steel girders on the old span.

The winner of the 'Toughest Bridge Commute' contest, which began last week and has generated hundreds of applications, according to project officials, still will get to push the plunger that detonates the old section. Traffic on the Capital Beltway will be halted for about half an hour at that time for safety reasons.