This was in the paper today...
Turnpike bridge piers unlikely to be left standing in Allegheny River
By Michael Aubele, VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH
Saturday, July 10, 2010
A proposal to keep the old Pennsylvania Turnpike bridge piers standing in the Allegheny River has suffered its own demolition.
Kevin Evanto, spokesman for Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato, said Friday little chance exists that county officials will agree to preserve the piers.
?As we went through this process, the likelihood that the county wanted to take ownership of the piers was very slim,? he said. ?The cost to the taxpayers doesn't make it viable.?
Dave Fawcett, a former county councilman from Oakmont, made a pitch to council and turnpike officials for keeping the piers in the river, arguing they could support a pedestrian bridge that would connect trails on both sides.
Those trails don't exist, although county officials do have designs on creating a riverfront park and trail system along both sides of the Allegheny from downtown Pittsburgh to Harrison Hills Park in Harrison.
Evanto said after the county told the Turnpike Commission of its interest in retaining the piers, it turned the matter over to its legal and public works departments. The reports coming back were negative, he said.
He cited the following concerns:
• Liability problems that include the county's responsibility if someone were injured climbing a pier or if a boat struck one.
• Land easements. He said the turnpike has easements with the property owners on both the Harmar and Plum sides of the river, but that the county would have to negotiate new agreements.
• The structural integrity of the 59-year-old piers and the ongoing cost to maintain them.
• The cost of building a walking/biking bridge, saying it would be expensive to build one because its height — about 50 feet — would require ramps with multiple switchbacks.
Evanto said there was no real need for the bridge.
?We have new bridges going in at Oakmont (the Hulton Bridge) and Freeport that will have bicycle and walking access,? he said.
Nick Futules, an Oakmont resident and Harmar business owner who represents several Alle-Kiski Valley communities on council, said the problems with the proposal weren't immediately apparent.
?It sounded good, but the liability and property issues got in the way,? he said.
Council President Rich Fitzgerald said he feels the issue isn't dead.
?I think the way we may be going now is that the proposal is not as promising as we thought,? he said. ?Still, I don't know that a final determination has been made.?
Turnpike officials have supported the proposal, going as far as to draft a contract that conveys ownership of the piers to the county.
Crews are set to demolish a portion of the bridge's steel superstructure on Tuesday. The remaining superstructure is slated to come down later in the month.
Meantime, Fawcett said he's hopeful that county residents contact Onorato and council members to voice their support for keeping the piers in place.
?First of all, I'm hopeful it's not a definite? the piers will come down, Fawcett said.
He indicated a VND reporter's phone call was the first he heard of county officials moving away from his proposal.
?I think it still would be prudent to hold off and further study the options,? he said. ?I haven't heard of anything that would be insurmountable.
?This is an opportunity that shouldn't be lost, and I'm hopeful residents who value this express their opinion in favor of keeping those piers in place.
?The northeastern part of the county — Harmar, Cheswick and East Deer — is underserved in terms of river and trail access,? Fawcett said.
?The bottom line is that (demolishing) the piers is forever. Leaving them leaves options.?