Busy stretch of Route 51 to close in both directions for bridge demolition

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Be prepared for a detour along a heavily traveled stretch of Saw Mill Run Boulevard. PennDOT is demolishing a bridge near Woodruff Street at the bottom of Mt. Washington and in doing so, it will be closing the road in both directions.

If Route 51 wasn’t challenging enough, starting Thursday night at 9 p.m., the closures go into place to demolish the bridge. Drivers are reacting as can be expected.

“I actually don’t know how I’m going to get to some places that I need to go,” said Paul Piraino of Squirrel Hill.

“It’s going to be inconvenient but we don’t have a choice. They have to do what they have to do,” said Taofeek Oyekangun of Sheraden.

The bridge over the busy roadway is about 95 years old and goes back to when a railway ran through the Wabash Tunnel. PennDOT said the demolition is needed because it is not feasible to keep repairing and maintaining the almost century-old structure.

“We’re going to have a 24/7 operation to make sure we get this bridge demolition done quickly to return it back to service,” Doug Thompson, PennDOT District 11’s assistant director executive of construction, said over Zoom.

The work is expected to last until Aug. 26 barring any setbacks. The bridge deck will be demolished but the abutments will be left behind to hold the hills in place.

“It’s not a particularly challenging bridge to demolish considering some of the other ones we’ve done,” Thompson said.

For drivers, there may be some creative ways of getting around. Route 51 will be blocked off from Woodruff to Crane.

“I have to drive toward Beechview and then come back on the other street to reach my destination,” Oyekangun said about his detour.

“Tighten up their jock straps and be patient,” Piraino said.

The detours can be found on PennDOT’s website.