The city will spend up to $758,000 to have the crumbling Davis Avenue Bridge imploded, Pittsburgh's Mayor Luke Ravenstahl announced.

He said the bridge would be blasted down in the next 10 to 14 days by Controlled Demolition Inc., the Maryland firm that imploded Three Rivers Stadium in 2001. It will take another 17 to 19 days to clear the debris, he said.

Residents of four homes along Woods Run Avenue beneath the bridge were urged to leave last Wednesday after an inspection revealed deficiencies that might cause the 110-year-old structure to collapse.

Preparation for demolition is under way. Utilities must be relocated and protective soil and cushion placed over sidewalks and the surface of Woods Run Avenue, which currently is closed in the area of the bridge.

Steps will be taken to ease damage to homes, but the mayor warned there might be minor damage, including broken windows.

The bridge, linking the Brighton Heights neighborhood with Riverview Park, has been closed to traffic since August 2001 and was closed to pedestrians last week.