Science Story

03 December 2008 21:00 BST

South Yorkshire's iconic cooling towers demolished

South Yorkshire's iconic concrete cooling towers have been brought down in a controlled explosion.

The 250ft tall Tinsley Towers, which stood just 12m from the M1 motorway, were brought down at 03:00 BST last night as hundreds of drivers witnessed the demolition of the landmark.

The Highways Agency closed the M1 between junctions 32 and 35 during the explosion and is now conducting safety checks in nearby areas. All cordoned off sections of the M1 are due to open later this afternoon.

A statement from power company E.ON, which owns the towers, and the Highways agency confirmed that the demolition had been successful. They added that the local viaduct remained closed and an exclusion zone was still in place for safety checks.

Previously, E.ON said it was no longer economic to maintain the towers and decided to bring them down to begin development of a biomass power station at Blackburn Meadows. It says the new facility will generate enough electricity for around 40,000 homes.

Speaking about the demolition, Highways Agency divisional director Arthur Ashburner said: "This demolition is a unique situation and as far as we are aware, nowhere else in the world has anyone sought to bring down similar structures that sit so close to a major highway viaduct.

"Our priority is for the safety of road users and, given the close proximity of the towers to the southbound carriageway of the M1, these closures are essential.

"In order to limit any delays, the demolition is being done overnight on a Bank Holiday Sunday, when traffic levels are at their lowest.

"Nevertheless, we would advise drivers to avoid the area if at all possible, but if travel is essential, they should allow plenty of extra time for their journeys and follow the signed diversion routes from the M1," he added.