Clemente Bridge could close for 19 months; love locks coming down

Plans are being finalized for the refurbishing of the Roberto Clemente Bridge in Pittsburgh that could result in its closure for 19 months and removal of its popular love locks.

Work on the bridge, adjacent to PNC Park, is expected to begin early next year and last until fall 2023.

Brent Wasko, a spokesman for the Allegheny County Department of Public Works, said each of the Three Sisters Bridges linking Downtown Pittsburgh to the North Shore requires rehabilitation about every 40 to 50 years to “ensure their structural integrity, make necessary repairs and improve their appearance.”

The other two bridges were renovated in recent years. The Rachel Carson Bridge was closed from February 2019 to November 2020; the Andy Warhol Bridge was closed from August 2016 to November 2017.

The project will require closure of the bridge’s roadway and sidewalks. However, the Three Rivers Heritage Trail under the bridge on the North Shore and Downtown will remain open throughout the project, Wasko said.

Placing so-called love locks on bridges first became popular in European cities such as Paris. Locks of all shapes, sizes and colors are placed on bridge railings as symbols of affection and longevity. The Clemente Bridge is packed with such locks.

“We will be cleaning and painting the panels and railing, so the locks will be removed. They likely will be individually removed with bolt cutters or by burning them off,” Wasko said.

The county will advertise for a contractor late summer into early fall.

The rehabilitation includes structural steel repairs, concrete deck replacement, painting and bridge lighting.

On Wednesday, Allegheny County Department of Public Works will be opening an online forum to field questions, concerns and suggestions on the bridge’s refurbishment. The forum lasts until July 23.