Farley Bridge demolished in Stony Point

The 87-year-old Farley Bridge on Route 9W was reduced to rubble Thursday before the eyes of hundreds of spectators. "It's probably once every 100 years they blow up a bridge in Stony Point, so it was

News 12 Staff

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May 27, 2014, 9:43 PM

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Updated 3,866 days ago

The 87-year-old Farley Bridge on Route 9W was reduced to rubble Thursday before the eyes of hundreds of spectators.

"It's probably once every 100 years they blow up a bridge in Stony Point, so it was definitely something to see today," says Al Brunner, of Haverstraw.

Prior to the demolition, warning signals were not heard, and the explosion went off a few minutes earlier than scheduled, taking many people who gathered at the Lowland Town Park by surprise.

"It lifted everybody's eyes up, so actually everybody did get a chance to see the bridge come down, but it was a little bit of a shock," says George Nicks, of Stony Point.

The historic occasion in the life of the Stony Point community brought back memories. Ralph Goldsmith, 97, says he witnessed the construction of the Farley Bridge.

"I was 10 years old, and I stood there and watched them build it," he says.

The old, crumbling structure was demolished to make way for a new bridge, which is expected to be completed by December.

For footage of controlled bridge implosion in Stony Point, go to your digital cable box and select iO Extra, Ch. 612.