• September 6th, 2016
• 0 Comments

Nine Ton Weight Limit Enforced on Liberty Bridge

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11, in cooperation with the Pennsylvania State Police and the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, is announcing weight limit enforcement is occurring on the Liberty Bridge (Route 3069) in the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County.

A temporary 9 ton weight limit has been implemented on the Liberty Bridge, which reopened to traffic yesterday.  Crews will work to add steel to strengthen one truss chord.  When the repair is complete, the bridge will be placed under the pre-closure weight limit of 30 tons.  Once the rehabilitation project is complete in 2018, it is anticipated that the bridge will have a 40 ton weight limit.

The Pennsylvania State Police Commercial Vehicle Safety Division and the City of Pittsburgh Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit will conduct stationary checkpoints and roving patrols near both ends of the bridge.  The penalties for exceeding maximum weight limits on the bridge can be in excess of over $10,000.

Standard cars, SUV’s, pick-up trucks and ambulances weigh less than the posted weight limit.  (See attached graphic)  However, buses and most trucks weigh significantly more than 9 tons and are prohibited from accessing the bridge and are subject to enforcement.  Vehicles weighing more than the posted weight limit will need to use the posted detour routes.

POSTED TRUCK DETOURS

Northbound (Inbound)

·         Take Route 51 (Saw Mill Run Boulevard) northbound

·         Take the exit to I-376 West/US 19 South toward Carnegie/Airport/West End

·         Take Exit 69A toward US 19 South/Banksville Road

·         Keep left and loop back to I-376 eastbound toward Fort Pitt Tunnel

·         Follow eastbound I-376 through Fort Pitt Tunnel and across the Fort Pitt Bridge

·       For access to I-279 destinations follow I-279 signage, all other destinations take exit toward I-376 East/Monroeville

·       Take the left exit 71A to Grant Street

·       Turn left onto Grant Street

·         End detour

Southbound (Outbound) From Downtown Pittsburgh

·         Take Grant Street to I-376

·         Take the ramp to West I-376 toward Fort Pitt Bridge/Airport

·         Follow I-376 westbound across the Fort Pitt Bridge and through the Fort Pitt Tunnel

·         Take Exit 69A toward South 19 Banksville Road

·         Keep left and loop back to eastbound I-376

·         Take Exit 69B toward South Truck US 19/Route 51 Uniontown

·         Merge onto southbound Route 51 and follow back to the Liberty Tunnel

·         End detour

Southbound (Outbound) From Westbound Route 885 (Boulevard of the Allies)

·         From the Boulevard of the Allies take the ramp to North I-579 to I-279 Veterans Bridge Exit

·         Take the Convention Center/7^th Avenue Exit

·         Turn right onto Grant Street

·         Turn left onto 11^th Street

·         Continue straight onto the 10^th Street Bypass

·         Take the I-376 West Fort Pitt Bridge/Airport Exit

·         Follow I-376 westbound across the Fort Pitt Bridge and through the Fort Pitt Tunnel

·         Take Exit 69A toward South 19 Banksville Road

·         Keep left and loop back to eastbound I-376

·         Take Exit 69B toward South Truck US 19/Route 51 Uniontown

·         Merge onto southbound Route 51 and follow back to the Liberty Tunnel

·         End detour

Southbound (Outbound) From Route 380 (Bigelow Boulevard)

·         From PA 380, take the Consol Center/6^th Avenue Exit

·         Take the 6^th Avenue Exit

·         Turn right onto Grant Street

·         Turn left onto 11^th Street

·         Continue straight onto the 10^th Street Bypass

·         Take the I-376 West Fort Pitt Bridge/Airport Exit

·         Follow I-376 westbound across the Fort Pitt Bridge and through the Fort Pitt Tunnel

·         Take Exit 69A toward South 19 Banksville Road

·         Keep left and loop back to eastbound I-376

·         Take Exit 69B toward South Truck US 19/Route 51 Uniontown

·         Merge onto southbound Route 51 and follow back to the Liberty Tunnel

·         End detour

Southbound (Outbound) From I-279 Parkway North

·         From southbound I-279, take the I-279 South Fort Pitt Bridge Exit

·         Take the South I-279/To I-376 Fort Pitt Bridge/Airport Exit

·         Take the West I-376 Fort Pitt Bridge Exit

·         Follow I-376 westbound across the Fort Pitt Bridge and through the Fort Pitt Tunnel

·         Take Exit 69A toward South 19 Banksville Road

·         Keep left and loop back to eastbound I-376

·         Take Exit 69B toward South Truck US 19/Route 51 Uniontown

·         Merge onto southbound Route 51 and follow back to the Liberty Tunnel

·         End detour

To help keep motorists informed as work progresses, PennDOT has created an email distribution list for Liberty Bridge traffic advisories and construction updates. Enroll by sending email addresses to stcowan@pa.gov. Please write “Subscribe – Liberty Bridge” in the subject line.  Additionally, project information including driving simulations for each traffic configuration and detour route maps, can be found at www.penndot.gov/libertybridge.

Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com.  511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 770 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

MEDIA CONTACT: Steve Cowan, 412-429-5010 (office), 412-334-5436 (cell)

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