The massive Brayton Point cooling towers in Somerset fell in spectacular fashion at precisely 8 a.m. Saturday, to the cheers of thousands who lined the waterfront from Somerset to Touisset and Bristol, and as far south as the Sakonnet River Bridge.

The towers, which soared 500 feet, were imploded by contractors working for the Commercial Development Company, Inc., the owner of the former Brayton Point power plant. After they fell, a boom traveled across Mt. Hope Bay and could be heard for miles.

The Sakonnet River Bridge bike path was lined with more than 1,000 people and in Bristol, hundreds lined King Philip Avenue to watch the demolition.

See spectacular video footage of the collapse here, taken from Touisset Point in Warren.

Traffic there was so thick that one visitor, who had Alabama plates on her car, got a surprise after dropping off a beach chair at her car following the explosion.

"This woman told me she had been counting license plates this morning and said she had seen one from all 50 states except Alabama," said Stephanie Turner. "She told me Alabama was the last one she needed."

The Narrows Beach area was packed with cars and dozens of people used the area, and the Mt. Hope Boat Ramp to the south, to launch kayaks, small boats and other craft. Several helicopters hovered overhead.

Watch drone footage of the collapse here.

Those who saw the implosion from Bristol had to keep their eyes on their phones, because the sirens blasted just prior to the implosion did not travel across the water and couldn't be heard.

When the towers fell after about a six-second collapse, the crowd along the shore let out a collective cheer and some watchers popped bottles of champagne.