3 Rivers Stadium Implosion 21-years ago this week. And after 31-years in Pittsburgh as a beloved member of the city family. Three Rivers stadium goes down. And with a bang at 8:03 a.m. on a chilly 21 °F day.! Furthermore, there were over 20,000 frozen viewers of the spectacle from a nearby park!
In addition, thousands more watched from various high points throughout the city.
Mark Loizeaux of Controlled Demolition, Inc. pushed the button that set off the 19-second implosion. While Elizabeth and Joseph King pushed the “ceremonial old fashioned dynamite plunger”.
The demolition cost $5.1 million. And used 4,800 pounds of explosive.
With the newly constructed Heinz Field only 80 feet away. Moreover, effects from the blast were a concern. As a result, Doug Loizeaux, vice president of Controlled Demolition, Inc., was happy to report that there was no debris within 40 feet of Heinz Field. But there is a plaque by Heinz Field to Remember Three Rivers Stadium!
A little side note with all this.
Ground was broken for the new stadiums in 1999. On October 1, 2000, the Pirates were defeated 10–9 by the Chicago Cubs in their final game at Three Rivers Stadium. Stargell threw out the last pitch.
Two months later on December 16, 2000, our Beloved Steelers concluded play at Three Rivers Stadium. With a 24–3 victory over the Washington Redskins and That game will forever be one of the top games that have played against each other! In conclusion, after its closing, Pittsburgh Pirates and Pittsburgh Steelers moved into newly built stadiums: PNC Park and Heinz Field, respectively.
