PROJECT TITLE: Southern Beltway Section 55A2 (Quicksilver Road to Panhandle Trail)
CATEGORY I: Special Projects
When Pittsburgh’s famous steel industry came to a screeching halt in the late 1970s, the Mon Valley experienced economic and social hardship. Planning efforts refocused with the intent that better highway access and mobility would help redevelopment efforts. Hence, the Southern Beltway Project was conceived.
CDR Maguire Inc. (CDR|M) was the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s (PTC’s) Construction Manager for the $780 million Turnpike 576 (Southern Beltway State Route 22 to PA Interstate 79) project in Allegheny and Washington Counties, PA. The most recently completed section 55A2 includes a pair of multi-span steel girder bridges, which are the longest and most complex structures on the beltway.
Construction Management had to coordinate construction with multiple rail-trails located within the footprint of the project; the complex topography of hills, valleys, rivers, and streams; and existing strip and deep coal mines. Couple these factors with COVID19, construction schedules, and the need to negotiate safety , schedule, budget, and a quality product, and you have a noteworthy engineering feat.
With collaboration from engineering, environmental, and construction backgrounds, CDR|M and the entire construction team provided viable solutions to keep the Southern Beltway project on track.
Not only does Section 55A2 demonstrate teamwork and an ability to resolve complex challenges, but it embodies the industrial spirit of the region’s steel history. CDR|M and the entire team have had a role in opening a new chapter for the future of the Mon Valley.
