In the context of increasing attention to the sustainable management of obsolete infrastructures, the controlled demolition of decommissioned bridges represents not only a technical necessity but also a unique opportunity to acquire high-value structural data. This work explores the experimental potential embedded in deconstruction processes, highlighting how such operations can be designed to include destructive and non-destructive testing campaigns, including beam load tests, dynamic surveys, and modal analyses. When integrated into the dismantling phase, these activities enable the validation of degradation models, the comparison of numerical predictions with real data, and a deeper understanding of the seismic response of structures that have been in service for decades. Alongside the decommissioning phase, the study proposes the temporary or permanent reuse of disused bridges as testbeds for innovative monitoring systems, training facilities for inspectors, and experimental platforms for studying soil-structure interaction, damage propagation, and the effectiveness of local retrofitting techniques. In particular, the installation of sensors and the application of advanced structural identification techniques on non-operational infrastructure opens new perspectives for experimental research in the seismic field. The aim of this work is to promote a paradigm shift, encouraging the systematic integration of research and training activities within dismantling processes, in line with the principles of sustainability, circular economy, and infrastructure resilience.