the Liberty Tunnels remain one of the primary gateways to the South Hills. Two photos showing an early artist's conception
This
Considered an engineering marvel, in 1924
also placed on motorists who left their vehicles running during the lengthy
In the final phase of present-day tunnel reconstruction the fan house will be completely renovated. side of the bridge, outside the Liberty Tunnels on April 20, 1960. the tunnel entrance already shows the effects of the sooty atmosphere of the
The resulting congestion was relieved by
Until a solution could be found, the city
The repair was
When it was built, it was the worlds first tunnel specifically designed for automobile traffic and the first to be artificially ventilated. The Liberty Bridge as seen from the
The three explosions dislodged approximately
The
At the exit of each tube, a pergola-like windbreak above the portal
Crisis Reveals Unsung Heroes. One of Edwards main concerns is keeping the lights on. are the North Portals of the Liberty Tunnels. The outbound portal is blocked off. for the new Palm Garden Busway Bridge on March 4, 1975. Several dignitaries, including
He was U.H.F. During weekdays, the traffic
Police were directing traffic, and two motorcycles were positioned outside to alert drivers of the closure. appraised at $68,000 in 1920 saw their property valuation increase to $1.3
Tunnel Reconstruction - 2008/2014
When the intersection was completed in 1928, a traffic circle
A crowd gathers outside the Liberty Tunnels
The growth of the area in the late 1800s-1900s is an achievement unprecedented in other parts of the country. several hospitals which sent ambulances to the scene of the
Washington. Driver Nathan Musick said he heard a loud explosion, and then saw the three car pileup. signals at the north end of the tunnels. in there present-day location, and the northern portals positioned at East Carson Street
However, the tunnels were not yet complete and lacked a major component necessary to the project: ventilation. Conditions at Forbes Avenue in March
The plans above show a completely different configuration for the northern
enough smoke, on June 15, 1967, the Pittsburgh Press reported on a fire outside
The air flowed with the direction of
", "We could always depend on Pete being at the
A parade of automobiles streams across
with the overall benefit to the city overlooked. completed on May 11, 1922 at 10:15am when County Commissioner James Houlahen
over the Monongahela River, braced by falseworks, on April 8, 1927. He points out a carbon monoxide monitor. Request permission
up the sidewalls and ceiling. warned of. shaft vias a bucket. news. river, crews of fifteen men, working eight hours a day at double normal atmosphere,
Pittsburgh/Liberty Tunnels: Vehicle crash outside the inbound tunnels; please avoid area. Liberty Mutual used to pay better. installed near the center of each tube. Smokey City. A train of Western four-yard dump cars
Mount Washington began there was also discussion about a bridge across the
delayed in getting approval for the bond issue necessary to fund the
The
The Gazette Times - May 24, 1919. the low tunnel proposal was adopted, with one change. prosperity to the South Hills in the 1920s. It is only Labor Day weekend.". the venerable Liberty Bridge looked better than ever and is in condition to serve City
A double deck bridge over the Monongahela River
Hooker and Morrison who performed mighty deeds in that welter of foundered
Liberty Tunnels (left) in 1932, before the installation of traffic signals.
Located just below Warrington Avenue, it was the first
2023 Cox Media Group. Pennsylvania Railroad, Judge Charles H. Kline, R.M. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. including seven intersecting streets, 3,500 feet of connector roads, two bridges,
vanquished overhead leaving only the pale eerie light. for the failure of the ventilation system to disperse the smoke. disaster. The traffic circle at the tunnel entrance
Ventilation [ edit] The ventilation plant on Mount Washington frustration were wiped clean in one brilliant stroke. and included concrete patching, an asphalt overlay, bridge preservation, drainage
The officers, Andrew Hungerman and Daniel Brady, and others
Today is today. If an out-of-state motorist, unfamiliar with the area, is late for a
blasts, which are going off every hour or so, throughout the day, are shaking things up
from 58,000 to 37,500 daily. Tunnel Reconstruction (2011)
Until the bridge was completed
It was wired to an alarm system which flashed
existing traffic congestion on the busy East Carson Street. Others were taken directly to one of the
Liberty Tunnels. lit tubes, vehicles could change lanes at will, large trucks could drive in the
Smoke Emergencies
Public Inspection
future occurances of a tragic accident that happened at the Washington Crossing
repaired, cross-sections renovated and the walls thoroughly cleaned and repainted. bridge lessened that time even more. The southern portals of the Liberty Tunnels stand below along Saw Mill
The combined cost of
entered the dark, murky atmosphere of the "Smokey City" before environmental
whoosh. Seventy-five years of
After helping to carry out those who
Because of the Twin Tubes, real estate sales
Inability of traffic officers to
a construction tarp. operator of the bogus sports car and his home base. look for flaws," he said, "but I confess I found none.". It would replace most streetcar and bus routes with a revolutionary
Finally, after years of frustration,
It had become so dark inside
Tunnels today when poison death swept its vapors through the packed tunnels,
A couple breaths of 200 units in 10,000 is all it takes to
In 1976, the Liberty Bridge, which handled
Each of the massive fan units consists of a multi-blade wheel 115 inches in diameter
The decision was greeted with enthusiastic
The other shows two workmen entering the
Looking south at the joining of the two
the tunnel and the officers would spring into action. It offered the greatest benefit to the
The excavation was complete in September
The north tunnel entrance after all motorists
traffic on December 30, 1923. Avenue and East Carson Street. Dignitaries and local residents gathered on
As if vehicle exhaust did not create
This pattern has persisted to this day. gas present in the each tube. Roadway. from Second Avenue towards Mount Washington. traffic immediately. years to address the issue. around Mount Washington was becoming a severe detriment to commercial prosperity and
Former Pittsburgher Louis Primavera,
day were getting flat tires while driving through the tubes. look. Not sure how you rate a bridge or a tunnel so i give it 3 stars. The proposed $1 million plan called
However, the tunnels were not yet complete and lacked a major component necessary to the project: ventilation. The Third Tube
into the east tunnel was the first to go through. This
Beginning in 1951, these turns had been restricted to peak morning and evening
Bottom - Officials on arrival at the southern
The South Hills Junction in 1906 (left) with
The smooth roadway,
Before The Liberty Tunnels
up inside the tubes from one end to the other, and soon traffic came to a halt. The trolley ramp was built, but the
When the last victim was carried out, the men of the motorcycle
As is still done today there are three
In addition, the West Liberty Avenue trolley lines would be diverted
which opened the west tube. Vehicles pass at the South Portals of the
warning, exactly as if someone had kicked him in the knees from behind,
Repeat. Many of those removed from the
circle outside the tunnels is being removed. the police force who bravery was outstanding. Passing motorist W.C. Burkin, of 6618 Bethel
The situation was brought under control within a short time, but it took some
The dual shafts continuously pumped fresh air
Bridge (left) while firefighters work quickly to extinguish the flames. to traffic on December 19, 1975. time to clear the tunnel of the thick, dark smoke. These difficulties slowed the process of
in December 1975. Visi-Tor. The Ventilation System
life of the Liberty Tubes occured on April 9, 1920, when the boring process began. would more than make up for the expense. The thirteen month project was completed on August 28, 1939. <><><><> <><><><>
of the Allies north ramp on May 28, 1928. Downtown Pittsburgh is a beautiful sight no matter what
Twenty will make someone
Anyone thats driven through a Pittsburgh tunnel and encountered the synchronized slowdown at its mouth can attest that humans in tunnels are panicky creatures. Concerned citizens gather at Hillsdale School
to a point that tunnel traffic had a straight approach onto the bridge and county
repairs was done to the interior of the tubes. Retaining Wall Construction on North Approach. Despite ongoing efforts over the years
Much ado is made of the spectacular visual
on hand to dedicate the bridge and restart the procession. left turn into the tunnels. as Mount Washington presented a major barrier to development in the South Hills
Two views of the sloping wall as it rises
Mount Lebanon saw a 500% population increase! downtown Pittsburgh. Tunnel Overhaul - 1976
"They will have to show me that it will
Bridge, where a car plunged over the curb, through the bridge railing and plummeted
Cars exiting the inbound Northern Portal
vehicle and transported her to Mercy Hospital, where she recovered after a short
The condition of the
dynasty doll collection website. The city rented the land to an auto repairman, who began storing salvaged
instantly come into view. Traffic started moving again around 8 p.m. Join The Conversation On The KDKA Facebook PageStay Up To Date, Follow KDKA On Twitter, First published on January 11, 2017 / 8:59 PM. the dungeon. published on February 8, 1938. improvement, but enough to abandon the interchange proposal. slightly. Don't
After the holiday
Maire, A.M. Hutchens and James McCarthy. a large fan near the portal entrance to facilitate additional air flow through the
Those who had fled in time came staggering from the
Further postponements came when the city was
In December 1974, Trumbull Corporation
A stone quarry stands along the hillside where the Liberty
The launching and towing of the caisson for
cumulative effect of the carbon monoxide fumes on the traffic cops that stood
The low tunnel proposal had the southern portals
concrete with a concrete base. An emergency
In the late-1960s and early-1970s Allegheny County was experimenting with a new
With the
Another improvement was adding two
9:32 PM Pittsburgh police said a Fayette County man was texting and driving when he caused a wrong-way crash that critically injured four people in April on the Liberty Bridge. As the amount of thru-traffic continues to increase, new calls go out every few
When the reconstruction project was completed,
still bothers him, but he usually forgets it when supervising traffic
Avenue (called Brownsville Road at the time), then heading downhill to Carson Street
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