Birmingham Bridge closed at least two weeks for repairs

The Birmingham Bridge, the central connection between the South Side and Oakland… The Birmingham Bridge, the central connection between the South Side and Oakland neighborhoods, will be closed for at least two more weeks.

The bridge, which carries approximately 23,000 vehicles each day, was closed Friday because of rotation of a rocker bearing and movement of the pier.

Rocker bearings provide support for the bridge and are built to compensate for movements made from forces like temperature fluctuations – one of the possible causes of the damage.

“We know that the rocker-bearing shifted and the pier shifted,” Kent Harries, a professor at Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering, said. “What we still do not know is the sequence.”

The severity of the damage to the bridge cannot be determined until this timetable is established, he said.

“If the pier shifted first in the way that it did, that’s damage at the foundation level,” Harries said. “If they have to replace the pier, it’s a significant construction job.”

According to a PennDOT press release, the bridge is expected to be closed until late February so it can undergo further inspection and repairs.

There have been no indications thus far of any damage to the northbound lanes of the bridge, which consist of two separate structures, and there is a possibility that these lanes could be opened sooner, said Harries, depending on the inspection results.

“[Contractors] are looking for further indications of damage but also for damage that could have occurred as a result of the collapse,” he said.

With the Birmingham Bridge out of commission, thousands of people will face detours and traffic.

“Even if this were an isolated event, this is still telling of the state of our infrastructure,” Harries said. “Let’s not forget that these have significant secondary impacts.”

During the weekend, Pitt student Mark Mulshine was one of these people affected by the closed bridge. Attempting to catch a 54C Port Authority bus into Oakland proved almost impossible, he said, so he was forced to find a bus Downtown and transfer to another heading back to campus.

“That takes about 40 minutes and is a last resort,” he said. “I’m hoping I won’t have to do it again.”

According to Allegheny County Port Authority spokesman David Whipkey, some bus stop locations have been closed because of the bridge closing, but for the most part schedules should remain intact.

The routes that have been modified are the 51E, 54C, 59U, 84A, 84B and 84C.

The 54C and 59U are the two routes taken by students traveling between the South Side and Oakland.

“As for the 59U, none of the stops have been discontinued, but there is going to be a time difference,” Whipkey said, adding that longer waits will likely happen during rush hour.

The 54C, he said, will remain on time, but stops between 19th and 22nd streets will be closed until the bridge re-opens.

“I have only done the commute once since [the bridge] closed, but it doesn’t seem like it will be too much of a change,” said Mulshine, who lives near the bus stop on 18th and Carson streets, where the authority is directing 54C passengers to catch the bus.

Instead of taking the Birmingham Bridge, the buses will take the South 10th Street Bridge and continue their usual routes up Fifth Avenue into Oakland.

Pitt student Larry Gilliam Jr. might take a hit to his credit card because of the new detour. With a 9 a.m. class, relying on a bus seems too uncertain to him, so he has resorted to driving to campus from his home on the South Side.

“In ways it helps and hurts,” he said. “I get to campus earlier now, but I have to pay for parking, which around here can be a burden.”