Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Area Bridge Closures Impact On Mass Transit

Wikipedia
George J. Rankin Memorial Bridge

The closure of the Greenfield Bridge is resulting in detours for commuters in private vehicles and those taking public transportation. However, the structure spanning I-376 isn’t the only bridge closing in the region. Three bridges where Braddock, Rankin, North Braddock and Swissvale come together have closed for repairs resulting in the rerouting of traffic and bus routes. Jim Ritchie, communications officer for the Port Authority joined us to address how this is impacting mass transit.
 
“We want the bridges to be safe and be able to accommodate the vehicles we have going throughout the county,” says Ritchie.
 
With the amount of bridgework taking place in the county Port Authority has to take into account the amount of weight the bridges can handle.  The buses are detoured with the weight restrictions in mind and long before construction work on the bridges begins.
 
“We’ve tried to figure out the best way to go around the construction work that’s occurring but also not missing parts of the community that are out there,” says Ritchie.
 
For information about specific details on bus detours, people can visit Port Authority’s website or call customer service.

More Essential Pittsburgh segments can be heard here.

Recent Episodes Of The Confluence