TEMPE – On Sunday, August 2 Tempe residents will be evacuated from the area of the Tempe Town Lake bridge that was damaged earlier this week when a cargo train derailed and caught fire.
A demolition company, in partnership with Union Pacific will be demolishing part of the bridge. The process involves small precision cutting charges. According to the Tempe Fire Department, this “event mirrors the sound of one large aerial firework and should it take approximately 10 to 15 minutes from start to finish. Charges will be placed on a predetermined area of the bridge which was identified and necessary to assist with the removal of the damaged area, while maintaining the integrity of the bridge.”
Residents close to the derailment site are being asked to evacuate their residences by 7:00 a.m. and return sometime after 9:00 a.m.
A portion of the damaged heavy rail bridge scheduled for demolition Sunday August 2nd. pic.twitter.com/mGmCko7vt2
— Tempe Police (@TempePolice) August 1, 2020