Birmingham Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Birmingham Bridge is a tied arch bridge
in Pittsburgh
, Pennsylvania
, which crosses over the Monongahela River
. The bridge connects East Carson Street on the South Side
with Fifth
and Forbes
Avenues going to Uptown
, Oakland
, and the Hill District
.
are utilized in the construction of the Station Square station
. On May 23, 1978 Pittsburgh Police
and Fire
responded to a construction worker who had pinned his leg near the top of the span. After attempting unsuccessful rescues, they finally hoisted a surgeon to the site and were forced to amputate on site to save the workers life.
The Birmingham Bridge is notable for the dead end lanes that were originally to be part of a city belt system. The project was canceled and the bridge rerouted. A pedestrian walkway runs along the downstream side of the bridge, ending at steps at the south abutment of the bridge.
On April 2, 2007 large sections of the bridge were shut down for repair. The repair project was expected to finish on November 1, 2007. While the project did not complete on time, by late November all barricades had been removed and all lanes were again open. During the bridge rehabilitation, bike lanes were added along the outer sides of both the northbound and southbound traffic lanes.
On February 8, 2008 the bridge was closed for inspection after a motorist called 911 when the deck dropped several inches. PennDOT indicated that one of the rockers that support bridge beams slipped http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/state/pennsylvania/20080208_ap_birminghambridgeclosedforstructuralinspection.html and "feels it is in the best interest of the traveling public to close the outbound lanes at this time and conduct a thorough inspection to ensure the integrity of the structure. http://www.tribune-democrat.com/local/local_story_039102844.html In the early morning hours of Monday, March 3, 2008, the southbound deck reopened for to serve traffic in both directions, cars and buses only. On September 8, 2008, the northbound deck fully reopened and northbound traffic was relocated to it. The inner lane of the southbound deck remained closed, and southbound trucks were still barred from the span.
It was originally called the Brady Street Bridge during construction, but in March 1977 the Pennsylvania General Assembly
renamed it the Birmingham Bridge at the behest of State Senator James A. Romanelli.
Tied arch bridge
A tied-arch bridge is an arch bridge in which the outward-directed horizontal forces of the arch, or top chord, are borne as tension by the bottom chord , rather than by the ground or the bridge foundations...
in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, which crosses over the Monongahela River
Monongahela River
The Monongahela River is a river on the Allegheny Plateau in north-central West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania in the United States...
. The bridge connects East Carson Street on the South Side
South Side (Pittsburgh)
South Side is an area in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, located along the Monongahela River across from Downtown Pittsburgh. The South Side is officially divided into two neighborhoods, South Side Flats and South Side Slopes. Both the Flats and the Slopes are represented on Pittsburgh City...
with Fifth
Fifth Avenue (Pittsburgh)
Fifth Avenue is one of the longest streets in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It begins downtown and moves eastward for about seven or eight miles...
and Forbes
Forbes Avenue
Forbes Avenue is one of the longest streets in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It has a length of about ten miles and is named for General John Forbes , whose expedition recaptured Fort Duquesne and who renamed the place Pittsburgh in 1758.The westernmost terminus of Forbes Avenue lies at...
Avenues going to Uptown
Bluff (Pittsburgh)
The Bluff or Uptown is a neighborhood in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to the southeast of the city's Central Business District. It is bordered in the north by the Hill District and just a short trip across the Monongahela River is the city's South Side, which is home to a flourishing...
, Oakland
Oakland (Pittsburgh)
Oakland is the academic, cultural, and healthcare center of Pittsburgh and is Pennsylvania's third largest "Downtown". Only Center City Philadelphia and Downtown Pittsburgh can claim more economic and social activity than Oakland...
, and the Hill District
Hill District (Pittsburgh)
The Hill District is a collection of neighborhoods that is considered by many to be the cultural center of African-American life in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, an American city. Harlem Renaissance poet Claude McKay once called the district "the crossroads of the world," referring to the...
.
History
The Birmingham Bridge was built in 1976. It replaced the South 22nd Street Bridge (aka Brady Street Bridge), which was demolished in 1978. Railings from the Brady Street Bridge, rescued by the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks FoundationPittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation
The Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1964 to support the preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA....
are utilized in the construction of the Station Square station
Station Square (PAT station)
Station Square is a Transit station on the Port Authority of Allegheny County's light rail network. It is the last Transit station on the south side of the Monongahela River.This station is named for the nearby mixed-use development Station Square...
. On May 23, 1978 Pittsburgh Police
Pittsburgh Police
The Pittsburgh Police, or officially the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, is the largest law enforcement agency in Western Pennsylvania and the third largest in Pennsylvania...
and Fire
Pittsburgh Fire Bureau
The Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire is the 630-strong fire department of the City of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania. The Bureau dates its history back to September 12, 1793, with the initial purchase of a fire engine and the opening of a fire station at the corner of First Avenue and Market Street in...
responded to a construction worker who had pinned his leg near the top of the span. After attempting unsuccessful rescues, they finally hoisted a surgeon to the site and were forced to amputate on site to save the workers life.
The Birmingham Bridge is notable for the dead end lanes that were originally to be part of a city belt system. The project was canceled and the bridge rerouted. A pedestrian walkway runs along the downstream side of the bridge, ending at steps at the south abutment of the bridge.
On April 2, 2007 large sections of the bridge were shut down for repair. The repair project was expected to finish on November 1, 2007. While the project did not complete on time, by late November all barricades had been removed and all lanes were again open. During the bridge rehabilitation, bike lanes were added along the outer sides of both the northbound and southbound traffic lanes.
On February 8, 2008 the bridge was closed for inspection after a motorist called 911 when the deck dropped several inches. PennDOT indicated that one of the rockers that support bridge beams slipped http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/state/pennsylvania/20080208_ap_birminghambridgeclosedforstructuralinspection.html and "feels it is in the best interest of the traveling public to close the outbound lanes at this time and conduct a thorough inspection to ensure the integrity of the structure. http://www.tribune-democrat.com/local/local_story_039102844.html In the early morning hours of Monday, March 3, 2008, the southbound deck reopened for to serve traffic in both directions, cars and buses only. On September 8, 2008, the northbound deck fully reopened and northbound traffic was relocated to it. The inner lane of the southbound deck remained closed, and southbound trucks were still barred from the span.
It was originally called the Brady Street Bridge during construction, but in March 1977 the Pennsylvania General Assembly
Pennsylvania General Assembly
The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times , the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly. Since the Constitution of 1776, written by...
renamed it the Birmingham Bridge at the behest of State Senator James A. Romanelli.
Trivia
In the TV show Fringe, the Birmingham Bridge collapsed in September 2007 from an unknown cause.External links
- Brady Street Bridge at pghbridges.comPghbridges.comPghbridges.com is a reference site created by Bruce S. Cridlebaugh. Formally titled, Bridges and Tunnels of Allegheny County and Pittsburgh, PA, pghbridges.com has information on many of the structures of the area...
- Birmingham Bridge at pghbridges.com