ROSCOE VILLAGE — Hey, what's with the Torrence Avenue bridge stealing the Western-Belmont viaduct's thunder?
Yeah, the implosion that sent the crumbling bridge crashing into the Grand Calumet River on Thursday was pretty cool, and no, the viaduct's demolition isn't going to be nearly as dramatic.
Which isn't to say it won't be spectacular in its own right.
According to the Chicago Department of Transportation, the deteriorating viaduct won't meet a literal wrecking ball. Instead, the overpass will be ripped apart by a team of six large excavators with hydraulic attachments.
As any 4-year-old familiar with "Goodnight Construction Site" knows, excavators are powerful pieces of equipment, capable of pulverizing concrete with Hulk-like force or gnashing and tearing structures to shreds with a "jaw" reminiscent of a T. Rex.
For a preview of what to expect this weekend, we dug up videos of excavators in action.
Reminder: Western Avenue will be completely closed to traffic in both directions, from 8 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday, between Nelson and Roscoe, including the intersection at Belmont and Clybourn. Click here for our "survival guide" of how to avoid the construction zone in the coming months.
For a quick refresher on why the overpass is being demolished, we leave you with this image of the viaduct's underbelly.
R.I.P.
[DNAinfo/Patty Wetli]
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