Phase 2 of Philip Murray (South Tenth Street) Bridge Project Completed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Brent Wasko October 25, 2019 412-350-2451 (office) 412-577-6175 (cell) [email protected]

PITTSBURGH – The Department of Public Works today announced that the second phase of a Philip Murray (South Tenth Street) Bridge rehabilitation project in the City of Pittsburgh has been completed. This phase, which began on June 19, 2017, was completed by the American Bridge Company of Coraopolis. It cost $21.1 million and was done with funding from the Federal Highway Administration and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The project’s second phase included installation of an innovative bridge cable dehumidification system, which is now one of only three in use in the United States. The other two systems are on the Delaware Memorial Bridges and William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial (Bay) Bridges in Maryland. The system works by drawing in outside air, removing the moisture, and injecting the air into the bridge’s cables to create a dry, non-corrosive environment. The system is expected to practically stop cable corrosion for the life of the bridge and save an estimated $4 million in future maintenance costs over the next 40 years.

Other major items of work during this phase included:

• Structural steel repairs; • Wrapping of the suspension cables; • Replacement of the asphalt deck and waterproof membrane; • Replacement and waterproofing of the reinforced concrete roofs over the four bridge vaults; • Painting; • Line stripping; and • Installation of new traffic signals

The first phase of the rehabilitation project was completed in 2014 and included replacement of the bridge’s sidewalks and lighting.

The Philip Murray Bridge, which opened in 1933, is 1,275 feet long and is one of only three conventional (parallel wire cable) suspension bridges in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. An estimated 18,000 vehicles travel across it daily.

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Stephen G. Shanley, PE, Director Department of Public Works 501 County Office Building │542 Forbes Avenue │ Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Phone: 412-350-4005 │ Fax: 412-350-5386 www.alleghenycounty.us