Bridge near Rapidan Dam demolished in Blue Earth County

Explosives team takes down deck beams on bridge next to Rapidan Dam
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
Bridge near Rapidan Dam demolished
Multiple explosions demolished the County Road 9 bridge near the Rapidan Dam after last summer's breach that led to the dam's partial failure.
VIDEO: Bridge near the Rapidan Dam demolished in Blue Earth County
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.
Crews use explosives to bring down bridge by failed Rapidan Dam
Heavy rain back in June 2024 caused severe flooding that breached the Rapidan Dam on the western side. Erosion around the supports of the bridge led county officials to decide to remove and replace the bridge due to safety concerns. Blue Earth County recently hired Barr Engineering to plan the removal of the Rapidan Dam.
County Road 9 Bridge in Blue Earth County demolished with explosives
The decking is stripped off the County Road 9 bridge that was damaged in flooding near the Rapidan Dam near Mankato. (JP Lawrence/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Crews use explosives to bring down Co. Road 9 bridge
MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - A subcontractor of the company hired to remove the County Road 9 bridge over the Blue Earth River is using explosive charges to sever and fall the bridge.
WATCH: Co. Road 9 bridge by Rapidan Dam demolished
Blue Earth County officials shared footage of the County Road 9 bridge demolition on Wednesday. The bridge was set to be replaced after the nearby Rapidam Dam was breached in June 2024. The rushing water destroyed an Xcel Energy substation and caused a home along the bank to fall into the river.
Blue Earth County bridge demolished after damage from flooding of nearby Rapidan Dam
The first explosives 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 now resting in the river valley below.
Explosive charges used to demolish flood damaged bridge near Rapidan Dam
The bridge was damaged from heavy rain in June of 2024 in southern Minnesota. ...WIND ADVISORY WILL EXPIRE AT 6 PM CST THIS EVENING... Winds have begun to decrease this evening and will continue to do so into the overnight hours.
Removal of failed Rapidan Dam near Mankato to begin in 2027
Engineers plan to start removal of the Rapidan Dam in 2027, after it failed during major flooding last year. The process of ...
KFGO12h
A Minnesota bridge that almost collapsed under heavy rains has been demolished
MANKATO, Minn. (AP) — Contractors on Wednesday blew up the remnants of a damaged southern Minnesota bridge that almost ...
Flood-damaged Rapidan Dam expected to be razed in 2027-28
A Twin Cities engineering firm hired to design the demise of the Rapidan Dam expects it to disappear by the end of 2028 — 118 years after the structure was completed southwest of Mankato, Minn.
MPR News3d
Blue Earth County up against the clock — and the unknown — in flood repair projects
Faced with the task of replacing a flood-damaged bridge, and removing a breached dam, county officials face the prospect of ...
Mankato Free Press9d
Dam removal set for 2027-28
An engineering firm hired Tuesday to design the demise of the Rapidan Dam expects it to disappear by the end of 2028 — 118 ...
KARE 111mon
Bridge near Rapidan Dam coming down months after major floods
MANKATO, Minn. — The bridge in Mankato that spans the Blue Earth River near the Rapidan Dam is starting to come down. Crews began demolition work Tuesday, months after extreme flooding ...