Media & Public Relations


COMMISSION NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Carl DeFebo
Phone: (717) 920-7176
E-mail:cdefebo@paturnpike.com
July 12, 2010
Original Turnpike Allegheny River Bridge Scheduled to Fall 10 AM July 13
PITTSBURGH, PA (07/12/2010)(readMedia)-- Preparations are complete to bring down the old Turnpike Allegheny River Bridge (ARB) as scheduled on Tuesday, July 13 at 10 AM. It will take 200lbs. of explosives set in 300 strategic parts of the truss to bring down the remaining steel portions of the bridge.

After the blast, approximately 2,000 tons of steel will be removed from the site. It will take 48 hours to completely clear the river; however a channel will be cleared for river traffic in 24 hours.

The cost of the demolition is about $3.2 million including the deck, girders, truss, piers, and salvage value for the steel that is recycled.

The Walsh Construction Company of Chicago IL, with local offices in Canonsburg, is the general construction contractor, the J.B. Fay Company of West Deer, PA is the demolition contractor and Controlled Demolition Inc.(CDI) out of Phoenix, MD is the explosive contractor.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) reminds residents in the area and the general public to respect the 1,500 foot safety zone and stresses that there are no safe viewing areas around the ARB due to the surrounding structures and private property restrictions. In addition, intermittent traffics stoppages should be expected on the PTC at milepost 46.5 eastbound, and milepost 49.5 west bound and Freeport Road and Denny Estates will be closed for approximately 20 minutes during and after the blasts. Police and safety officers will closely monitor the perimeter to ensure safety precautions are enforced.

The PTC has taken several steps to provide the public with safe options to view the blast event via a live, online web cast at www.paturnpike.com and providing the region's television news outlets with a satellite feed of the blast from a remote, unmanned video camera. Both the web cast and the satellite feed will offer an unobstructed view of the demolition that is not possible to see in person.
 

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To view video of the July 13th demolition of the old Allegheny River Bridge, visit http://www.paturnpike.com/news/ARB_bridge.aspx.