Fort Duquesne Bridge: Concrete Pieces Falling From Aging Span

PITTSBURGH, PA - The Fort Duquesne Bridge is a half-century old and is beginning to show its age. Several pieces of concrete from the span's underside fell onto the sidewalk along North Shore Drive Tuesday, KDKA-TV reported.

PennDOT bridge inspectors quickly were on the scene and knocked down additional pieces of loose concrete. Louis Ruzzi, a PennDOT bridge engineer told the station inspectors would be on the scene for the rest of the week, and portions of North Shore Drive and the sidewalk might have to be closed temporarily.

Ruzzi said the entire bridge deck needs to be replaced, both on the upper and lower levels of the span. But that could be as long as 10 years from happening.

The Fort Duquesne Bridge was built from 1958 to 1963. But its northern ramps didn't connect to the North Side for more than five years, earning the span the nickname "Bridge to Nowhere. " The bridge finally opened in October 1959.

About 40,000 vehicles travel each of the bridge decks each day.