Another Tube For the Fort Pitt Tunnel?

[PAHighways]

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald wants something drivers who travel the Parkway West have wanted for years:  another tunnel.

This is something that has been discussed for years in long-term plans for rehabilitating 376 out to the Pittsburgh International Airport, and similar to an idea that was drawn up in the 70s for the Squirrel Hill Tunnel on the Parkway East.

http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/local/fitzgerald-wants-another-tunnel-aid-parkway-west-t

[Duke87]

Is that even physically feasible without ripping out the existing bridge and starting from scratch? It'd be one hell of an undertaking, for sure!

[ARMOURERERIC]

A new freeway along the PA 60 corridor in Moon, them following the West Bussway connecting to Ohio River Blvd Expy near Marshall Ave with an extension of the "T" in the median to greater pitt may cost more but give more benefit to the dollar.

[rickmastfan67]

Is that even physically feasible without ripping out the existing bridge and starting from scratch? It'd be one hell of an undertaking, for sure!

I think it would be possible at least for the bottom deck.  Only thing is that they would have to remove the exit on the West side of the bridge.  However, I think it would be worth it since it would help keep the traffic moving when WB I-376 and SB I-279 attempt to merge.  That is a nightmare in rush hour!

[Mr_Northside]

Another possible problem is also the west side of the tunnels, where the structures for PA-51 (and it's interchange with the parkway) are.  If enough money and will power were to exist, I'm sure something could be figured out... But I seriously doubt there will ever be the money (at least in my lifetime).

I've always wondered how possible it would be to widen a "tube" for a third lane.... Though I've mostly wondered this about the Squirrel Hill tunnel - which also has similar issues with an adjacent exit on one side, and a pretty "major" bridge (though no Ft. Pitt Br.) on the other side.

[ARMOURERERIC]

I could envision a reversible hot lane splitting off of 376 halfway down Greentree hill, piercing the hillside above PA 51, with the exit porthole just to the east of the bottom deck of the bridge, the lanes could either swing to follow the river with a branch across the old Wabash Bridge to a large downtown parking structure with a crossing back to the parkway mainlines near Second Avenue or parrelling the lower deck of the bridge and following the EB through lanes to Oakland

[Stephane Dumas]

One Facebook user at the news report, suggested the use of Wabash tunnel.  Too bad the plan to link downtown Pittsburgh directly to the tunnel is dropped. It could had been useful.

[Roadsguy]

I think they should replace the bridge with a similar-looking one with five lanes in each direction instead of four. And no more double lane drop. It'd definitely make the third tube more feasible, but would be way more expensive.

[Sykotyk]

Is it really necessary to bore another tunnel than to just build the road on stilts through the area around the corner of the hill by the West End Bridge and then back to the bottom of the hill near the 51/19/376 interchange to combine with the hill traffic.

Then another big issue is the interchange at the top of the hill Greentree Rd (the loop onramp I took daily years ago and it wasn't good then, I can't imagine it being better now). And then down the hill and under the railroad viaduct near the Carnegie exit. Those are also bottlenecks.