City Officials Ready For Parkway East Closure, Greenfield Bridge Demolition
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The implosion of the Greenfield Bridge has been a long time coming for the City of Pittsburgh.
"This is a project we've been working on since 1999, and we've been planning for this," said Pittsburgh Operations Director Guy Costa. "I remember a year ago, we were talking about how we have to close the Parkway for one week, and here it is, we have to close it for one week."
Costa says that full-lane closures of the Parkway East will begin on Sunday at 6 a.m. and reopen New Year's Day at 6 a.m.
"Right now, the contractor has five days to bring the bridge down as well as clean up the Parkway and get it reopen," Costa said. "We're hoping he can do it in less than five days. Right now, it's going to be a maximum of five days next week that the Parkway will be closed."
Things also depend on the weather; heavy rain and fog could delay the project.
The outbound closures will begin at Oakland. Click here for a map of all the outbound, or eastbound, closures and detours.
The inbound detour begins at Wilkinsburg. Click here for a map of all the inbound, or westbound, closures and detours.
Also, you can find more road closure and detour information at this link.
"It's gonna affect me," said driver Jay Schantz, of Greenfield. "I'm sure it will affect most people that not only work downtown but work in Green Tree and all those areas, too."
But Jason Wheeler says he will make it downtown with the Parkway open or not.
"I'm sure it will be very interesting to get down there, but there's a bunch of different ways to get around if you go through South Side or whichever, you can get around," he said.
Click here for much more information on the Greenfield Bridge Project.
The implosion is scheduled to take place at 9 a.m. Monday.
Two nearby homes will have to be evacuated during that time, but Costa anticipates everything going smoothly.
"The other thing too is we're asking folks within a 1,000 feet radius of the bridge, if they do stay in their homes, stay away from windows," Costa said.
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If you want to have a front seat to the show, Costa says to go to Schenley Park's Overlook Drive. You'll be able to see the bridge through the trees.
When the bridge drops, it will fall on a four-foot pad of dirt.
Then, the steel and dirt will get hauled and washed away before the Parkway reopens to motorists.