Fort Pitt Tunnel

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The Fort Pitt Tunnel carries I-279 between Green Tree, Pennsylvania and downtown Pittsburgh. It has two lanes both inbound and outbound. The tunnel travels beneath Mount Washington. Its northern ramps lead directly to the Fort Pitt Bridge which is a double-deck bridge. To mesh with the bridge, the north portal has openings at two levels, with the eastern opening leading to the top deck of the bridge. At the south portal the openings are at the same level.

Entering the tunnel, you see a dull view of Mount Washington, but when you exit you see a spectacular view of Pittsburgh's skyline, often famous as "the best way to enter an American city". The view was also the inspiration for the news open on CBS affiliate KDKA-TV for several years in the 1980's and 1990's. [1] It is referenced in the novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky.

[edit] History

On July 11, 1954, contracts were awarded for the basic design of the Fort Pitt Tunnels. The groundbreaking ceremony for the Fort Pitt tunnel was held April 17, 1957 and drilling began August 28 of the same year. In April of 1960 construction on the tunnels was complete and they opened for the first time on September 1, 1960.

[edit] Dimesions

• 3,614 feet in length
• 28 feet wide
• 13.5 feet verticle clearance

[edit] Trivia

• Serves nearly 107,000 vehicles per day.
• PennDOT's electric bill for lighting the Fort Pitt Tunnel and operating the 10 huge ventilation fans was $197,840 for the last fiscal year.
• There are 1,788 light fixtures with 3,576 bulbs.
• There are 187,200 sq ft of tiled surface to wash.