A defunct bridge has been removed in the US State of Louisiana using explosive demolition techniques. The OK Allen Bridge was removed at the weekend, following a planned blast carried out by a demolition specialist. The bridge psanned the Red River for 79 years, providing a connection between Alexandria and Pineville. Traffic was halted on the Curtis-Coleman Bridge, which carries US 71, for safety during the demolition. The steelwork of the old bridge will be removed from the river and sold for scrap, although its concrete piers still have to be demolished. Meanwhile a new structure will be constructed on the site of the old bridge as part of the Curtis-Coleman link.