You've heard they're detonating the old Bay Bridge, right? Apparently continuing to dismantle the old eastern span piece by piece is taking too long, is hard, is too expensive, and might hurt surrounding wildlife, and as such the thinkers over at Caltrans have decided to just blow the damn thing up. Six hundred (yes, 600) explosives are being placed on the largest pier and will detonate over the course of a six-second span. This all goes down at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 7th.

The explosives will technically implode the pier, designated as E3, sending it tumbling in on itself.

Now you're probably wondering, "is there any chance that dust and debris could go flying all over the Bay?" Well, we're very glad you asked, because the answer is "yes," the detonation could in fact send dust and debris flying all over the Bay.

Inside Bay Area reports that Caltrans "plans to create an 'air curtain' around the pier using pipes blowing compressed air into the water." Which, OK, sure. However, a press release from Bay-preservation group Baykeeper suggests air curtain or no, the Bay might be getting dusty.

"Caltrans’ plan to implode the largest underwater pier of the old Bay Bridge threatens to pollute San Francisco Bay with dust and debris," says the release.

And Caltrans is shutting down the new Bay Bridge for the fifteen minutes surrounding the detonation, you know, just in case.

The Chronicle reports that the implosion will cost $160 million.

No matter how it eventually turns out, you've already missed your chance to buy a $90 ticket to this on-boat viewing party (it's sold out, but there is a wait list).

Update: This thing is not going to be the spectacle previously imagined, and it was delayed to November 14.

Previously: Old Bay Bridge Span To Be Detonated November 7th