Pittsburgh's Sister Bridges To Remain Yellow After Overwhelming Response To Poll

PITTSBURGH (KDKA/AP) - An online poll that drew more than 12,000 votes shows nearly 85 percent of Pittsburghers don't want the city's three "sister bridges" across the Allegheny River to be painted a different color when they're rehabbed.

So, the Roberto Clemente, Andy Warhol and Rachel Carson - or 6th, 7th and 9th street - bridges will remain "Aztec Gold."

"They're historical structures that people come and see and that means we have to take good care of them and making sure the rust doesn't damage the bridge," said Amie Downs, spokesperson for Allegheny County.

Starting with the Warhol Bridge next spring, the county will begin replacing the steel girders and refurbishing the decks and understructure of each of the bridges to the tune of $22 million apiece.

They'll do one bridge at a time and each will get a new coat of 4,000 gallons of paint.

Pittsburghers made their opinions pretty clear in wanting the bridges to stay yellow, and our own unofficial poll backed that up.

"We're kind of known for it, you know," said one woman. "Why go changing it now?"

The suspension bridges were built between 1924 and 1928 and connect downtown with the city's North Shore.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Allegheny County, which owns the bridges, are scheduled to rebuild and repaint the spans starting with the Warhol bridge early next year.

The county and city conducted the poll after suggestions that the Warhol be painted silver, the Carson bridge be painted green and the Clemente span be repainted yellow.

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