NEW ORLEANS – After days of waiting, two crane towers that were left swaying precariously over the remains of the collapsed Hard Rock Hotel construction site have been imploded.
The twin crane towers, each with crossbeams that weigh in at 145,000 pounds, were hit with blasts from strategically placed explosives around 2:30 p.m. on October 20.
One crane appears to have fallen onto Rampart Street, while the other can still be seen laying across part of the collapsed hotel’s upper structure.
City officials have confirmed that the implosion did not go as planned, but have yet to release further details.
UPDATE: At 3:30 p.m., we were notified that windows at The Roosevelt Hotel were blown out during the explosion.
The exclusion order has been lifted. If you are in the orange, it is now safe to go outside. The evacuation order for the red zone is still in effect.
Stay tuned to WGNO for more on this developing story.
