VIDEO: Just five days after a train derailed and caught fire on the Salt River bridge over Tempe Town Lake, a portion of the bridge and two rail cars came crashing down in a planned explosion Sunday morning.
This was the next step necessary for crews to go in, clean up, and take steps toward rebuilding the damaged bridge. The demolition happened around 8:15 a.m. Sunday after the Tempe Police Department and other work crews swept the nearby area. Some residents were asked to evacuate, while many sheltered in place.
The Tempe Fire Department says the demolition went as planned with no injuries.
The controlled demolition was a direct result of a Union Pacific train derailment and massive fire on the bridge last week.
The cause is still under investigation, along with another Union Pacific train derailment in the exact same spot back in June.