Fort Pitt Tunnel
Encyclopedia
Interstate 376
Interstate 376 is a major auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, located entirely within the Allegheny Plateau. It runs from I-80 near Sharon south and east to a junction with the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Monroeville, after having crossed the Turnpike...
(Interstate 279
Interstate 279
Interstate 279 is a north–south Interstate Highway spur that lies entirely within Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Its southern end is at Interstate 376 at the Fort Pitt Bridge in Pittsburgh, and the north end is in Franklin Park at Interstate 79...
prior to June 10, 2009), US 22
U.S. Route 22 in Pennsylvania
U.S. Route 22 is an east–west route stretching from Cincinnati, Ohio in the west to Newark, New Jersey in the east. In Pennsylvania, the route runs for between the West Virginia state line at Washington County, where it is a limited-access expressway-grade route through the western suburbs...
, US 30
U.S. Route 30 in Pennsylvania
In the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, U.S. Route 30 runs east–west across the southern part of the state, passing through Pittsburgh and Philadelphia on its way from the West Virginia state line east to the Benjamin Franklin Bridge over the Delaware River into New Jersey...
, and US 19 Truck
U.S. Route 19 Truck (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
U.S. Route 19 Truck is a truck route route of U.S. Route 19 located in Western Pennsylvania in the Pittsburgh Metro Area that has a length of . It is a loop off US 19; the southern terminus located in Mt. Lebanon and the northern terminus in McCandless Township, connecting to US 19 at both ends...
between Downtown Pittsburgh and its West End neighborhood
West End (Pittsburgh)
West End Village is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's west city area. It has a zip code of 15220, and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by the council member for District 2 ....
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
. It has two lanes both inbound and outbound. The tunnel travels beneath Mount Washington
Mount Washington (Pittsburgh)
Mount Washington is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's south city area. It has a zip code of 15211 and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by both the council members for District 3 and District 2 .It is known for its steep hill overlooking the Pittsburgh skyline, which was...
. Its northern ramps lead directly to the double-deck Fort Pitt Bridge
Fort Pitt Bridge
The Fort Pitt Bridge is a steel, double decker bowstring arch bridge that spans the Monongahela River near its confluence with the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It carries Interstate 376 between the Fort Pitt Tunnel and Downtown Pittsburgh.-History:The Fort Pitt Bridge opened on...
. To mesh with the bridge, the North portal has openings at two levels, with the eastern opening leading to the top deck of the bridge. At the South portal the openings are at the same level. "FORT PITT TUNNEL" is mounted in small letters on a grey marblestone frame-like entranceway above the South portal, with large letters used in the North portal frame.
Before entering the tunnel at its southwest end, one sees a commonplace view of Western Pennsylvania's rolling green hills, but upon exiting at the northeast end, one sees a spectacular view of Pittsburgh's skyline, cited by the New York Times as "the best way to enter an American city". The view was also the inspiration for the news open on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
affiliate KDKA-TV
KDKA-TV
KDKA-TV, channel 2, is an owned and operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. KDKA-TV broadcasts from a transmitter located in the Perry North neighborhood of Pittsburgh, and its studios are located in downtown Pittsburgh at Gateway Center....
for several years in the 1980s and 1990s. http://youtube.com/watch?v=huOmvNU2tOw It is referenced in Stephen Chbosky's
Stephen Chbosky
Stephen Chbosky is an American novelist, screenwriter, and film director best known for the coming-of-age novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower...
novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is an epistolary novel written by American novelist Stephen Chbosky. It was published on February 1, 1999 by MTV...
.
History
Interstate 376
Interstate 376 is a major auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, located entirely within the Allegheny Plateau. It runs from I-80 near Sharon south and east to a junction with the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Monroeville, after having crossed the Turnpike...
and West End Bypass), South Hills commuters travelled around the Banksville Circle, which was the northern terminus of Banksville Road and western terminus of Saw Mill Run Blvd at the time. On July 11, 1954, contracts were awarded for the basic design of the Fort Pitt Tunnels. The groundbreaking ceremony for the Fort Pitt tunnel was held April 17, 1957 and drilling began August 28 of the same year. In April 1960 construction on the tunnels was complete and they opened for the first time on September 1, 1960. On Thursday, May 31, 2007, a bomb threat shut down the Fort Pitt Tunnel along with the Liberty
Liberty Tunnel
The Liberty Tunnels are a pair of tunnels located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that allow motorists to travel between the South Hills of Pittsburgh and the city, through Mt. Washington...
and Squirrel Hill
Squirrel Hill Tunnel
The Squirrel Hill Tunnel is a tunnel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It serves as an eastern gateway to the city for I-376 and was completed in 1953 after 8 years of construction and at a cost of US$18 million 1953 dollars. At the time of opening it was the single largest investment...
tunnels, causing a major traffic jam.
Dimensions and specifications
- 3,614 feet in length
- 28 feet wide
- 13.5 feet vertical clearance
- Serves nearly 107,000 vehicles per day.
- There are 1,788 light fixtures with 3,576 bulbs.
- There are 187200 sq ft (17,391.4 m²) of tiled surface to wash.
External links
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8oqTSq75ZQ&mode=related&search= - video of the tunnel - Southern portal - Northern portal