Date set on Springdale trestle bridge demolition

Overnight work to dismantle the trestle bridge over Pittsburgh Street in Springdale will begin Wednesday and last about five days, officials told residents during a town hall meeting Thursday.

Chief Derek Dayoub said the work will close Pittsburgh Street between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. each night.

During that time, crews will put protection on the road and cut up the bridge and take it down piece by piece, said Sam Miller of Charah Solutions, the property owner of the former Cheswick Generating Station.

“It’s all part of the demolition process we’re going through at the old power plant,” Miller said. “We’re going to do it safely, and we’re going to try to do it as efficiently as possible to minimize the effects to the community.”

The work

According to officials, the bridge is constructed of large metal beams and pipes, and, because of its lower clearance and overhead power lines in the area, heavy machinery cannot be used. Instead, the bridge will be cut with torches into sections, and those sections will be lowered to the ground to be hauled away.

There will be some construction noise from the demolition, Miller said, but crews will limit it as much as they can. Steel plates will be placed under the work area to protect the road. Those plates will be lined with rubber sheeting and tires to deaden the sound when a beam, pipe or debris falls to the ground.

“They’ll cut it as small as they can so they can handle it, drop it on the road, bring it on to our site,” Miller said.

Crews will either lower the pieces with machinery or drop them, depending on size, Miller said.

The permit required work to be done overnight because that is when vehicle traffic is at a minimum, Dayoub said. The work is permitted Monday through Saturday.

Light towers are required for the work because it’s being done overnight. Crews will make efforts to direct the lights in the direction of the work area only, officials said.

Miller said crews do not anticipate generating much dust with the demolition, but there will be dust control measures in place with the crew on hand. A fire hose will also be ready if needed.

The trestle was built about 100 years ago to provide a continuous supply of coal from the former Harwick Mine to the power plant without affecting traffic on Pittsburgh Street. In recent years, it was known to hold banners hung by local groups for passerby in Springdale and Cheswick.

The detour

Springdale police are working with other agencies for the traffic management, road closures and detours during the project, Dayoub said.

Sgt. Fred Hockenberry said truck traffic from Harmar should turn onto Cheswick Avenue/Low Grade Road, onto Hite Road, onto Route 28, onto Tawney Run Road and then onto Riddle Run; trucks in the opposite direction should take that detour backwards.

Cars can also utilize that detour, Hockenberry said.

But only cars can go up Colfax Street to Butler Road to Tawney Run Road to get around Springdale and get to Cheswick, he said.

The work is anticipated to take five days but, if it does happen to take longer, PennDOT has permitted work to go until Monday, Dec. 2, Dayoub said.

Hockenberry said Pittsburgh Street will be closed from South Duquesne Avenue in Cheswick to Washington Street in Springdale. Residents at Duquesne Court will be allowed to get to their homes and have egress back through Cheswick, but they will not be able to go under the trestle.

There will be no traffic of any kind — vehicle or pedestrian — from Washington Street to Duquesne Court, Hockenberry said.

He said police will be designated at major intersections for traffic control.

Electronic marquees have been set up along Freeport Road outside Springdale to notify motorists of the overnight closure.

Pittsburgh Street will be open during the day. Dayoub said the permit stipulates the road to close at 9 p.m., work to begin at 10 p.m. and the road to be reopened by 6 a.m.

Hockenberry said there will be an access road through the power plant property designated only for emergency vehicles and first responders.

Council President Mike Ziencik said he’s confident the work will go off without a hitch.

“It’s not too much to it,” Ziencik said. “It’s very basic work.”