Demolition efforts for the bridge near the failed Rapidan Dam are underway in Blue Earth County. On Wednesday, controlled explosives went off, severing the bridge beams of County Road 9, just a short distance away from the Rapidan Dam.

The first explosive charge at the bridge rang out like a starting gun, followed by the ratatat drumbeat of smaller explosions. The smoke cleared, revealing the concrete and steel beams of County Road 9 Bridge,

A thunderous boom and a large billow of dark-gray smoke rising in the air marked the quick demise of steel beams that had held up the Blue Earth

Faced with the task of replacing a flood-damaged bridge, and removing a breached dam, county officials face the prospect of more spring floods and an uncertain timeline.

Crews have been working on bringing down the bridge, which carries County Road 9 over the Blue Earth River.

The roadway surface and the majority of the bridge structure was removed over the last several weeks, with the steel support beams the only remaining bridge component spanning the