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When construction of the Beechwood Boulevard (Greenfield) Bridge was fully completed in January 2018, it was evident that the years of work and planning had paid off for the City of Pittsburgh. The new, 466-foot-long steel arch stands stately above the thousands of motorists who use Interstate 376 every day, with no platforms needed anymore underneath to catch falling pieces. The project captured the Engineering Society of Western Pennsylvania’s prestigious award for “2017 Transportation Project of the Year.”
Larson Design Group performed construction inspection for the bridge, from the implosion of the original 1922 concrete arch to erection of its replacement, as a member of a team including Mosites Construction, HDR and Michael Baker International.
The original structure had deteriorated so badly that in 1989, after injuries were suffered, netting and later a steel and concrete platform had to be built underneath to capture debris and protect commuters. The situation captured national attention and was even featured on 60 Minutes.
Footage of the bridge’s impressive implosion can be viewed here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1m9jsEUrMCE
“There was a great deal of pride in helping to improve the city,” said Dave Baum, project manager with LDG’s construction inspection department. “We’re known as the City of Bridges, and the new Greenfield Bridge will protect the integrity of that name well into the next generation.”
