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Pittsburgh's Birmingham Bridge Reopens

Posted: 4:38 pm EDT September 5, 2008Updated: 12:37 pm EDT September 8, 2008

Pittsburgh's Birmingham Bridge fully reopened on Monday after a pier dropped 8 inches in February.

Officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation met at the bridge on Friday to make the announcement.

Part of the Birmingham Bridge, which connects Pittsburgh South Side to Oakland, has been closed for several months after the pier discovery.

Crews had been working all summer to fix the problem.

Officials say rocker bearings, which are meant to allow the bridge to flex with weather and traffic, were unable to return to their upright position because of excess corrosion and debris.

Though more repairs must be done, PennDOT said lanes don't need to be closed. All work is expected to be done in January.

While the bridge will be open to cars and buses, southbound trucks must still follow a detour. Northbound traffic will be unrestricted.

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