It took a few days longer than expected, but part of Route 51/Saw Mill Run Boulevard in Pittsburgh reopened Thursday after crews finished removing a bridge above the highway.
The road had been closed since Aug. 1 between Crane Avenue and Woodruff Street while contractor Charles J. Merlo Inc. removed an old bridge for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. The bridge owned by Pittsburgh had been open, but its condition had deteriorated and there were no plans to upgrade it, so PennDOT had it removed before it created a dangerous situation for motorists on the highway underneath it.
The closure created an extensive detour and traffic backups. As a photographer took photos of the reopened road, a motorist waiting for a green light wound down his window and said, “That’s a pretty sight, right?”
The department had expected the highway to reopen Monday, but it wasn’t ready until Thursday. There is still some work to do, so the contractor will resume work overnight between Tuesday and Sept. 27, with lane restrictions in both directions occurring between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m.
In addition to removing the bridge, Merlo’s $3.1 million contract called for installing a block wall and rehabilitating the roadway.
Ed covers transportation at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at eblazina@unionprogress.com.