Rocker bearing problem closes Birmingham Bridge

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | Friday, February 08, 2008 | Michael A. Fuoco,

[RS_Rider]

PennDOT ordered the emergency closure of the Birmingham Bridge this morning due to an unexplained drop of up to 8 inches in a portion of the span over the Monongahela River.

The drop, apparently noticed overnight by a motorist who called 911, occurred on the span linking Fifth Avenue, Uptown, to the South Side. The inbound, or nothbound, lanes were likewise ordered closed, at 8:45 a.m., to allow for a comprehensive inspection of the entire bridge, which really is two independent superstructures.

Crews were working to shore up the western edge of the outbound span where the roadway had dropped 7 3/4 inches and on the eastern side by 2 1/2 inches.

[Gondring]

PennDOT ordered the emergency closure of the Birmingham Bridge this morning due to an unexplained drop of up to 8 inches in a portion of the span over the Monongahela River.

My guess is that gravity is the driving force.

[DB]

That’s sounds very serious. Especially if it happened literally overnight.

[DB]

Can I remove the ‘s... Sorry... Changed thoughts mid way through...

[Dumpster Baby]

Hey, no problemo.

[RS_Rider]

Temperatures here went from the low 60’s to the upper 20’s in a 24 hour period. Not the first time that has happened though.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

In light of the 35W bridge collapse last August here in Minnesota, I’d have to say somebody made a nice catch that may have saved many lives.....

[MarineBrat]

Needs a Burgh ping!

[RS_Rider]

More info:

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/15251183/detail.html#

[Eagles6]

Maybe they’ll just put a net under like they did on the bridge over the parkway.

[martin_fierro]

	It's a 'Burgh Thing.™
Send FReepmail if yunz want on/off BPT list, 'n'at
Learn Pittsburghese! Free Streaming 'Burgh Radio
The List of Ping Lists

[socialismisinsidious]

It was a good catch, sometimes PennDOT can surprise. Makes me a little worried about the other 73 bridges in the city & the other 943! in Allegheny county.

[Ciexyz]

Praise the Lord bump for timely action.

[PennsylvaniaMom]

This is going to get worse before it gets betters. This is on the side that goes over Second Avenue and the Parkway East...how long can they both stay open with 'movement' of such a huge expanse going above? So the next question, when will it be total gridlock from the east into town? Fortunately this will just be a major, major traffice headache...mercifully, this was found before any accident occurred. But stunning isn't it that is just 'happened' over night

[RayBob]

Thanks to this mess, they are rerouting traffic to second avenue to cross the Hot Metal Street Bridge. Second Avenue and Forbes Ave are total gridlock. Combine that with the closure of the Blvd of the Allies and traffic from town to the east suburbs is a complete nightmare!

[PennsylvaniaMom]

I live in Westmoreland County...my alternate route (and no RayBob, I am trully not as nutz as this sounds) Turnpike at Irwin to Allegheny Valley and come into town from the other side (using the Highland Park bridge to go East or North Short to the West End Circle to get to the Southside :)

I have heard it mentioned (in passing) twice about what they are going to do (or not do) to the Parkway East when they bring the cranes in to 'lift' the Birminingham Bridge. Does anybody think they are honestly going to keep traffic flowing underneath when the lifting/repairs are being done? Now they are saying it is the piers themselves that are cracked...hmmmmm. I wouldn't mind having LA traffic, if we had LA weather.

[Hacksaw]

And we have bridges here over 100 years old like the Smithfield that don’t have these problems.