Related Articles
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 2, 2016
Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing the indefinite closure of the Liberty Bridge and inbound Liberty Tunnel (Route 3069) in the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, while detailed inspection activities occur.
The Liberty Bridge was closed to traffic this afternoon due to a fire that damaged approximately 30 feet of a compression chord of the deck truss. The damaged chord requires a thorough inspection and around-the-clock monitoring.
Bridge experts and other construction personnel are right now monitoring the bridge for public safety, performing extensive structural analysis and designing a repair. Once a repair method and details are prepared, the necessary components will be fabricated and ultimately our contractor will repair the damage. We are in full emergency mode with engineers, construction personnel, steel fabricators and other support operations working 24/7 until we re-open the bridge to traffic. PennDOT will notify the public as soon as a repair timeline is established.
The Liberty Bridge and the inbound Liberty Tunnel will remain closed until further notice. The outbound Liberty Tunnel and McCardle Roadway will remain open. All bridge traffic will be detoured.
POSTED DETOURS
Northbound (Inbound)
- Take Route 51 (Saw Mill Run Boulevard) northbound
- Take the exit to I-376 West/US 19 South toward Carnegie/Airport/West End
- Take Exit 69A toward US 19 South/Banksville Road
- Keep left and loop back to I-376 eastbound toward Fort Pitt Tunnel
- Follow eastbound I-376 through Fort Pitt Tunnel and across the Fort Pitt Bridge
- For access to I-279 destinations follow I-279 signage, all other destinations take exit toward I-376 East/Monroeville
- Take the left exit 71A to Grant Street
- Turn left onto Grant Street
- End detour
Southbound (Outbound) From Downtown Pittsburgh
- Take Grant Street to I-376
- Take the ramp to West I-376 toward Fort Pitt Bridge/Airport
- Follow I-376 westbound across the Fort Pitt Bridge and through the Fort Pitt Tunnel
- Take Exit 69A toward South 19 Banksville Road
- Keep left and loop back to eastbound I-376
- Take Exit 69B toward South Truck US 19/Route 51 Uniontown
- Merge onto southbound Route 51 and follow back to the Liberty Tunnel
- End detour
Southbound (Outbound) From Westbound Route 885 (Boulevard of the Allies)
- From the Boulevard of the Allies take the ramp to North I-579 to I-279 Veterans Bridge Exit
- Take the Convention Center/7th Avenue Exit
- Turn right onto Grant Street
- Turn left onto 11th Street
- Continue straight onto the 10th Street Bypass
- Take the I-376 West Fort Pitt Bridge/Airport Exit
- Follow I-376 westbound across the Fort Pitt Bridge and through the Fort Pitt Tunnel
- Take Exit 69A toward South 19 Banksville Road
- Keep left and loop back to eastbound I-376
- Take Exit 69B toward South Truck US 19/Route 51 Uniontown
- Merge onto southbound Route 51 and follow back to the Liberty Tunnel
- End detour
Southbound (Outbound) From Route 380 (Bigelow Boulevard)
- From PA 380, take the Consol Center/6th Avenue Exit
- Take the 6th Avenue Exit
- Turn right onto Grant Street
- Turn left onto 11th Street
- Continue straight onto the 10th Street Bypass
- Take the I-376 West Fort Pitt Bridge/Airport Exit
- Follow I-376 westbound across the Fort Pitt Bridge and through the Fort Pitt Tunnel
- Take Exit 69A toward South 19 Banksville Road
- Keep left and loop back to eastbound I-376
- Take Exit 69B toward South Truck US 19/Route 51 Uniontown
- Merge onto southbound Route 51 and follow back to the Liberty Tunnel
- End detour
Southbound (Outbound) From I-279 Parkway North
- From southbound I-279, take the I-279 South Fort Pitt Bridge Exit
- Take the South I-279/To I-376 Fort Pitt Bridge/Airport Exit
- Take the West I-376 Fort Pitt Bridge Exit
- Follow I-376 westbound across the Fort Pitt Bridge and through the Fort Pitt Tunnel
- Take Exit 69A toward South 19 Banksville Road
- Keep left and loop back to eastbound I-376
- Take Exit 69B toward South Truck US 19/Route 51 Uniontown
- Merge onto southbound Route 51 and follow back to the Liberty Tunnel
- End detour
To help keep motorists informed as work progresses, PennDOT has created an email distribution list for Liberty Bridge traffic advisories and construction updates. Enroll by sending email addresses to stcowan@pa.gov. Please write “Subscribe – Liberty Bridge” in the subject line. Additionally, project information including driving simulations for each traffic configuration and detour route maps, can be found at www.penndot.gov/libertybridge.
Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 770 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.
MEDIA CONTACT: Steve Cowan, 412-429-5010 (office), 412-334-5436 (cell)
# # #
One comment
Pingback: Liberty Bridge Fire in Boring Pittsburgh