Allegheny River Turnpike Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Allegheny River Turnpike Bridge carries Interstate 76
(Pennsylvania Turnpike
) over the Allegheny River
. The structure actually features a pair of twin girder bridge
s. It was constructed between 2007 and 2010 and is the second bridge to stand on this site. The original truss bridge
was built between 1949 and 1951 by the engineering firm Modjeski & Masters; the crossing predates the Interstate System by several years.
The replacement bridge was designed by the engineering firm Figg. The purpose of the new structure was to increase the capacity of traffic from two lanes in each direction to three; this was done to eliminate a bottleneck at the exit with Pennsylvania Route 28
, which branches off at the bridge approach on the Harmar side of the river.http://www.paturnpike.com/constructionprojects/arb/index.htm
The replacement eastbound bridge opened in November 2009. It carried both eastbound and westbound traffic across the Allegheny River until the project was finished one year later.
On Tuesday, July 13, 2010, just after 10 a.m., the old steel structure of the Allegheny River Bridge was imploded with controlled demolition explosives. Roadway traffic was stopped for approximately 15–20 minutes, and river traffic has been stopped for 24 hours for clean up of the debris of the bridge.
Interstate 76 (east)
Interstate 76 is an Interstate Highway in the United States, running 435 miles from an interchange with Interstate 71 west of Akron, Ohio, east to Interstate 295 near Camden, New Jersey....
(Pennsylvania Turnpike
Pennsylvania Turnpike
The Pennsylvania Turnpike is a toll highway system operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. The three sections of the turnpike system total . The main section extends from Ohio to New Jersey and is long...
) over the Allegheny River
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River is a principal tributary of the Ohio River; it is located in the Eastern United States. The Allegheny River joins with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River at the "Point" of Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
. The structure actually features a pair of twin girder bridge
Girder bridge
A girder bridge, in general, is a bridge built of girders placed on bridge abutments and foundation piers. In turn, a bridge deck is built on top of the girders in order to carry traffic. There are several different subtypes of girder bridges:...
s. It was constructed between 2007 and 2010 and is the second bridge to stand on this site. The original truss bridge
Truss bridge
A truss bridge is a bridge composed of connected elements which may be stressed from tension, compression, or sometimes both in response to dynamic loads. Truss bridges are one of the oldest types of modern bridges...
was built between 1949 and 1951 by the engineering firm Modjeski & Masters; the crossing predates the Interstate System by several years.
The replacement bridge was designed by the engineering firm Figg. The purpose of the new structure was to increase the capacity of traffic from two lanes in each direction to three; this was done to eliminate a bottleneck at the exit with Pennsylvania Route 28
Pennsylvania Route 28
Pennsylvania Route 28 is a major state highway which runs for 97 miles from Interstate 279 and Interstate 579 at the Interstate 279 Interchange in Pittsburgh to U.S. Route 219 in Brockway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The expressway from Kittanning to Pittsburgh is called the Alexander H...
, which branches off at the bridge approach on the Harmar side of the river.http://www.paturnpike.com/constructionprojects/arb/index.htm
The replacement eastbound bridge opened in November 2009. It carried both eastbound and westbound traffic across the Allegheny River until the project was finished one year later.
On Tuesday, July 13, 2010, just after 10 a.m., the old steel structure of the Allegheny River Bridge was imploded with controlled demolition explosives. Roadway traffic was stopped for approximately 15–20 minutes, and river traffic has been stopped for 24 hours for clean up of the debris of the bridge.