Greenfield Bridge

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The original Beechwood Boulevard Bridge, commonly known as the Greenfield Bridge, was an open-spandrel concrete arch bridge constructed in 1921. The 466-foot-long bridge carried two lanes of Beechwood Boulevard over I-376. By the late 1980s, the bridge began to deteriorate, requiring the installation of netting underneath the structure to protect drivers on I-376 from falling concrete debris. An inspection determined that the bridge needed to be demolished and replaced.

Michael Baker provided construction management and construction inspection services for the replacement of the Greenfield Bridge. Services included schedule review and monitoring, submittal tracking, utility coordination, issue resolution, construction inspection, adherence to project plans and specifications, oversight of the implosion of the old bridge, community outreach support and complex maintenance and protection of traffic.

The original Greenfield Bridge, which was a popular route for pedestrians and bicyclists traveling between neighborhoods and city parks, featured a variety of aesthetic features, including decorative plaques and urns, many of which dated back to the early 1920s. Michael Baker provided oversight for the collection of these items to incorporate them into the design of the new structure.

The new steel arch structure features contemporary abutments, bridge piers, structural steel; and a new bridge deck featuring three travel lanes, a bicycle lane, and a sidewalk. Our team applied a variety of construction innovations to ensure safety and efficient delivery, including using an advanced concrete curing process for bridge footings, flying a drone during demolition to survey the area and a paperless e-construction documentation system to streamline the submittal process.