Pittsburgh bridge's 60-foot-tall pier must be replaced

Currently only two of six lanes are open across the Birmingham Bridge in Pittsburg.

The Associated Press

6/2/2008

PITTSBURGH — A 60-foot-tall pier on Pittsburgh's Birmingham Bridge will be replaced at a cost of some $5 million.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation says the pier shifted slightly in February when a 150-foot-long section of the bridge dropped from its rocker bearings on to the pier. The repair will be done in the fall.

Once the pier is replaced the bridge's six lanes will be opened. Currently, only two lanes are in use.

The Birmingham Bridge spans the Monongahela River, one of Pittsburgh's three rivers. Pittsburgh relies heavily on hundreds of bridges and tunnels to connect different parts of the city and its suburbs.