Fort Pitt Tunnel

Last updated

Fort Pitt Tunnel
FtPitttunnel.jpg
Northeast Portal of Fort Pitt Tunnel
Overview
Location Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Coordinates 763-4-1, 870+00 west portal 763-4-1, 912+25 east portal
RouteI-376.svgTruck plate.svg
US 19.svgUS 22.svgUS 30.svg I-376  / US 19 Truck  / US 22  / US 30 (Parkway West)
StartI-376 Fort Pitt Bridge
EndUS 19
Operation
Work begunAugust 28, 1957
ConstructedTwin bore, circular roof with an exposed curved ceiling, concrete with ceramic tile lining
OpenedSeptember 1, 1960
Owner PennDOT
OperatorPennDOT
TrafficAutomobile
Tollnone
Vehicles per day107,000
Technical
Design engineerMichael Baker, Jr. [1]
Length3,614 feet (1,102 m)
No. of lanes 4
Operating speed55 mph (89 km/h)
Tunnel clearance 13.5 feet (4.1 m)
Width28 feet (8.5 m)
Grade 2.5% (east to west)
Building details
Fort Pitt Tunnel
Design and construction
ArchitectJoseph Bontempo [1]

The Fort Pitt Tunnel is a vehicular tunnel under Mount Washington in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It connects the West End region on the southwest side to the South Shore neighborhood on the northeast side. The adjoining Fort Pitt Bridge on the northeast end connects to Downtown Pittsburgh. The tunnel carries traffic on Interstate 376 (I-376), [lower-alpha 1] U.S. Route 22 (US 22), US 30, and US 19 Truck. The structure comprises two bores, each with two lanes of traffic. The inbound tunnel flows onto the top deck of the double-deck Fort Pitt Bridge, opposite traffic from the lower deck using the outbound tunnel. To accommodate the bridge, the northeast portals of the parallel tunnels are vertically staggered by 30 feet. The tunnel opened in September 1960, a year after the Fort Pitt Bridge. [1]

Contents

Before entering the southwest end of the inbound tunnel, travelers see a commonplace view of Southwestern Pennsylvania's hills, but at the northeast end, travelers emerge to a panorama of Downtown Pittsburgh and the surrounding skyline. The view was cited by The New York Times as "the best way to enter an American city". The vantage was the inspiration for the news opening on Pittsburgh's KDKA-TV for several years in the 1980s and 1990s, [2] and is referenced in Stephen Chbosky's novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower .

The Fort Pitt Tunnel is the third-longest automobile tunnel in Pittsburgh, following the Liberty Tunnels and the Squirrel Hill Tunnel. It is one of four major tunnels [lower-alpha 2] passing beneath Mount Washington, including the Liberty Tunnels and the Wabash Tunnel for automobiles, and the Mount Washington Transit Tunnel for public transportation. [3]

History

Before the existence of the Fort Pitt Tunnels (as well as the Penn Lincoln Parkway and West End Bypass), South Hills commuters travelled around the Banksville Circle, which was the northern terminus of Banksville Road and western terminus of Saw Mill Run Blvd at the time. On July 11, 1954, contracts were awarded for the basic design of the Fort Pitt Tunnels. The groundbreaking ceremony for the Fort Pitt tunnel was held April 17, 1957 and drilling began August 28 of the same year. In April 1960 construction on the tunnels was complete and they opened for the first time at 11 a.m. on September 1, 1960, with a dedication ceremony on the southwestern portal by Governor Lawrence, Pennsylvania Transportation Secretary Park H. Martin and Pittsburgh Mayor Joseph M. Barr followed by a "christening" of the tunnels in which the Governor led a caravan of antique cars through. The tunnel cost $17 million (equivalent to $149 million in 2020 [4] ). [5] [1] [6] [7]

On Thursday, May 31, 2007, a bomb threat shut down the Fort Pitt Tunnel along with the Liberty and Squirrel Hill tunnels, causing a major traffic jam. [8]

The tunnel provided AM reception in 1960, but due to design repairs it was discontinued until 1986. It was improved to cover the entire tunnel with strong reception in March 1997. [9] Since August 1987, the tunnels have provided cellular phone reception. [10] With the help of Carnegie Mellon University graduate students, the tunnel has provided FM reception since July 2005 as well as having its AM signals upgraded at that time. In 2015, the original flat ceiling was removed due to its poor condition. [11]

The tunnel was used as a filming location for the 2012 film The Perks of Being a Wallflower . [12]

Dimensions and specifications

Notes

  1. ↑ Interstate 279 prior to June 10, 2009
  2. ↑ Tunnels at least 3500 feet long

Related Research Articles

The Pennsylvania Turnpike is a toll highway operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. A controlled-access highway, it runs for 360 miles (580 km) across the state. The turnpike's western terminus is at the Ohio state line in Lawrence County, where the road continues west as the Ohio Turnpike. The eastern terminus is at the New Jersey state line at the Delaware River–Turnpike Toll Bridge over the Delaware River in Bucks County, where the road continues east as the Pearl Harbor Memorial Extension of the New Jersey Turnpike.

Green Tree, Pennsylvania Borough in Pennsylvania, United States

Green Tree is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and a suburb of Pittsburgh. The population was 4,432 at the 2010 census.

Interstate 279 (I-279), locally referred to as Parkway North, is a north–south Interstate Highway spur that lies entirely within Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Its southern end is at Interstate 376 at the Fort Pitt Bridge in Pittsburgh, and the north end is in Franklin Park at Interstate 79. It primarily serves at the main access route between Pittsburgh and its northern suburbs.

Interstate 376 (I-376) is a major auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, located within the Allegheny Plateau. It runs from I-80 near Sharon south and east to a junction with the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Monroeville, after having crossed the Pennsylvania Turnpike at an interchange in Big Beaver. The route serves Pittsburgh and its surrounding areas, and is the main access road to Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT). Portions of the route are known as the Beaver Valley Expressway, Southern Expressway, and Airport Parkway. Within Allegheny County, the route runs along the majority of the Penn-Lincoln Parkway, known locally as Parkway West and Parkway East. It is currently the ninth-longest auxiliary Interstate route in the system, and second only to I-476 within Pennsylvania.

Fort Pitt Bridge Bridge over the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Fort Pitt Bridge is a steel, double-decked bowstring arch bridge that spans the Monongahela River near its confluence with the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It carries Interstate 376 between the Fort Pitt Tunnel and Downtown Pittsburgh. Opened in June 1959 as a replacement for the Point Bridge, the Fort Pitt Bridge was the world's first computer-designed bowstring arch bridge and double-decked bowstring arch bridge. The bridge is known for its difficult lane changes, especially on the lower level, often requiring people to go from the extreme left lane across two lanes to the extreme right lane in only 300 feet. The upper level is more forgiving for some routes, but still requires a full span lane change in 300 feet to get from the south side entrance to the downtown exits.

West End (Pittsburgh) Neighborhood of Pittsburgh in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States

West End Village is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's west city area. It has a zip code of 15220, and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by the council member for District 2.

Squirrel Hill Tunnel

The Squirrel Hill Tunnel is a tunnel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It serves as an eastern gateway to the city for I-376 and was completed in 1953 after 8 years of construction and at a cost of US$18 million. At the time of opening it was the single largest investment by the State of Pennsylvania Transportation Department (PennDOT). It is 4,225 feet (1,288 m) long and is a twin-bore tunnel with 8 cross passages.

Pennsylvania Route 28 State highway in Pennsylvania, US

Pennsylvania Route 28 is a major state highway which runs for 98 miles (158 km) from Anderson Street in Pittsburgh to U.S. Route 219 (US 219) in Brockway in Pennsylvania. From Pittsburgh to Kittanning it is a 44.5-mile-long (71.6 km) limited access expressway named the Alexander H. Lindsay Memorial Highway or the Allegheny Valley Expressway.

Birmingham Bridge

The Birmingham Bridge is a bowstring arch bridge in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which crosses over the Monongahela River. The bridge connects East Carson Street on the South Side with Fifth and Forbes Avenues going to Uptown, Oakland, and the Hill District. It is named in honor of the English city of Birmingham and also for the neighborhood it connects to, which was once called Birmingham, now a part of the South Side. Many locals also may refer to it with its unofficial name, the 22nd Street bridge.

Transportation in Pittsburgh Overview of transportation in Pittsburgh, Penssylvania, United States

Pittsburgh, surrounded by rivers and hills, has a unique transportation infrastructure that includes roads, tunnels, bridges, railroads, inclines, bike paths, and stairways.

Liberty Tunnel Twin tunnels in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Liberty Tunnels are a pair of tunnels located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States that allow motorists to travel between the South Hills of Pittsburgh and the city, beneath Mt. Washington. The tunnels were vital in the expansion of the South Hills suburbs by providing a direct route to the city, eliminating the time-consuming task of navigating around or over Mt. Washington and its inclines. Opening in 1924, the Liberty Tunnels are the longest automobile tunnel in the City of Pittsburgh.

Wabash Tunnel Tunnel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.

The Wabash Tunnel is a former railway tunnel and presently an automobile tunnel through Mt. Washington in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Constructed early in the 20th century by railroad magnate George J. Gould for the Wabash Railroad, it was closed to trains and cars between 1946 and 2004.

U.S. Route 19 Truck is a truck route of U.S. Route 19 located in Western Pennsylvania in the Pittsburgh Metro Area that has a length of 19 miles (31 km). It is a loop off US 19; the southern terminus located in Mt. Lebanon and the northern terminus in McCandless Township, connecting to US 19 at both ends. The route is notable for a large, unorthodox interchange with the Penn–Lincoln Parkway just west of the Fort Pitt Tunnel, where the route joins the Parkway and forms several wrong-way concurrencies, including one with its own opposing directions. North of Pittsburgh, U.S. Route 19 Truck is called McKnight Road and south of Pittsburgh it carries West Liberty Avenue and Washington Road.

U.S. Route 19 in Pennsylvania closely parallels Interstate 79 (I-79) for its entire length. US 19 enters Pennsylvania from West Virginia in Greene County near Mount Morris. Its northern terminus is at US 20 in the city of Erie. Part of it is named for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, hero of the Battle of Lake Erie.

Fleming Park Bridge

The Fleming Park Bridge is a through truss bridge which spans the back channel of the Ohio River, between Neville Island and Stowe Township, PA. Although the Ohio River's back channel is only 590 feet wide, roughly 660 feet of this newer bridge was erected over water due to the unique 65 degree angle of the structure's trajectory.

Bloomfield Bridge

The Bloomfield Bridge is a bridge in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which carries four lanes of traffic across Skunk Hollow, a steep ravine between the densely populated neighborhoods of Bloomfield and Polish Hill.

<i>The Perks of Being a Wallflower</i> (film) 2012 film by Stephen Chbosky

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a 2012 American coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Stephen Chbosky, based on his own 1999 novel of the same name. Logan Lerman stars as a teenager named Charlie who writes to an unnamed friend, and these epistles chronicle his trials, tribulations, and triumphs as he goes through his freshman year of high school. The film depicts his struggles with his, unbeknownst to him, post-traumatic stress disorder, as he goes through his journey in high school making new friends, portrayed by Emma Watson and Ezra Miller. The film's ensemble cast also includes Mae Whitman, Kate Walsh, Dylan McDermott, Joan Cusack, and Paul Rudd in supporting roles.

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US.

Greenfield Bridge Bridge in Pittsburgh (opened 2017)

The Greenfield Bridge, officially known as the Beechwood Boulevard (Greenfield) Bridge II, is a steel arch bridge located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The bridge connects the neighborhoods of Greenfield and Squirrel Hill across the valley known as Four Mile Run which separates them. The bridge also spans the Parkway East (I-376), which runs along the bottom of the valley.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Lisa, Wardle (April 17, 2017). "Vintage photos of Fort Pitt Tunnel construction, which broke ground in 1957". Penn Live. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  2. ↑ KDKA 5PM Anchor Rejoin (MAY 99) 10 Years Ago (Television production). Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: KDKA-TV. May 1990. Retrieved February 23, 2018– via YouTube.[ dead YouTube link ]
  3. ↑ Grata, Joe (February 2016). "Underground Pittsburgh: Explore our City of Tunnels". Pittsburgh Magazine .
  4. ↑ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–" . Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  5. ↑ "The new bridge opens". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 19, 1959. p. 12. Retrieved February 24, 2018– via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ Eskey, Kenneth (September 1, 1960). "New Tunnel Jams Bridge". The Pittsburgh Press. pp. 1, 3. Retrieved February 10, 2017– via Google News.
  7. 1 2 3 Cridlebaugh, Bruce S. (September 10, 2001). "Fort Pitt Tunnel". Bridges and Tunnels of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Retrieved August 8, 2007.[ self-published source ]
  8. ↑ Ayad, Moustafa; Majors, Dan (June 1, 2007). "Bomb Threats Close Major Tunnels During downpour, Snarling Traffic Throughout City". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  9. ↑ Grata, Joe (April 9, 1997). "Radio Reception in Parkway Tunnels Is Music to the Ears". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. pp. A1, A2. Retrieved February 10, 2016– via Google News.
  10. ↑ Bennett, Marcia (September 28, 1987). "Now It's Phones that Do Walking". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 23. Retrieved February 10, 2017– via Google News.
  11. ↑ Ritchie, Jim (July 30, 2005). "Drivers No Longer Lo ..#!$.. adio Reception in Tunnels" (PDF). Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
  12. ↑ Anya Sostek (September 28, 2012). "The 'Perks' Fort Pitt Tunnel stunt: Don't try it". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved January 20, 2022.

Coordinates: 40°26′04″N80°01′08″W / 40.43444°N 80.01889°W / 40.43444; -80.01889

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.