The Liberty Bridge and Liberty Tubes were closed on Friday (9/2) when a fire broke out on a construction site on the bridge. From the Tribune-Review:
"The blaze started just after 1 p.m. as construction crews working on a deck-replacement project cut steel with a blow torch, Cowan said. Sparks ignited tarps on a temporary deck installed beneath the bridge, which then set fire to plastic pipes connected to the bridge. Fire crews doused the flames through a hole in the top of bridge and had the fire under control about 1:30 p.m." (see http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/11078070-74/bridge-fire-cowan)
The bridge was built in 1928 to cross the Monongahela River from downtown Pittsburgh, with a tunnel under Mt. Washington to allow traffic to reach the South Hills area. Due to rust and deterioration of the steel, the bridge has been undergoing an $80 million rehab that started in April.
The bridge is closed to traffic due to damage from the fire.
"Severe heat from a large tarp fire on the bridge Friday afternoon caused significant damage to a 30-foot compression beam that will need to be replaced before the bridge's reopening. [Steve] Cowan [a PENNDOT spokesman] said the bridge is closed through Labor Day, at the very least, and the closure is indefinite."
The Coast Guard is restricting commercial tow sizes to 105 feet wide and 800 feet long, said Cmdr. Leon McClain, captain of the Port of Pittsburgh.
"Even the smallest bump to the bridge could cause major problems given the critical damage to the compression chord," Cowan said in a release Saturday." http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/11078611-74/bridge-fire-saturday
Tuesday morning will be interesting for commuters heading into town via other routes, although going home won't be as big a problem since the outbound lanes and tunnel will be open.
Bruce in Blacksburg
Bridge closed till at least the 12th.
http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2016/09/04/penndot-announces-timeline-for-liberty-bridge-repair/
QuoteOn Sunday, officials said the bridge was just minutes from collapse during the fire.
:wow: :wow: :wow: :wow: :wow:
Should the two threads on the same topic be merged?