[PRCo] Ft. Pitt Blvd.

[Bob Rathke]

The old B&O station at the North end of the Smithfield St. Bridge was closed
in July, 1957 when their new station opened on Grant St.  The station
demolition allowed the upper and lower (wharf) levels of Ft. Pitt Blvd. to
be widened to accommodate the Penn-Lincoln Parkway through downtown.

The Grant St. interchange to/from the Parkway East opened in November, 1957.
I believe that the Parkway along Ft. Pitt Blvd. was under construction from
the Summer of 1957 until mid-1959 when it was opened and connected to the
two-level Ft. Pitt Bridge over the Monongahela River.  However, the Ft. Pitt
Tunnels were not completed until Labor Day, 1960, and so traffic on the Ft.
Pitt Bridge had to enter/exit to Carson St. to the West.  Until the tunnels
opened, Parkway traffic was routed from the Ft. Pitt Bridge to Carson St.,
to the West End Circle, then the West End Bypass to the end of the Parkway
West at the south end of the Ft. Pitt Tunnels.

Bob 12/27/03

--------------------------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Holland" <PghPCC at pacbell.net>
To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
Sent: Saturday, December 27, 2003 1:53 PM
Subject: [PRCo] Re: 44-KNOXVILLE


> Good Morning!
>
>
> > Boris Cefer wrote:
>
> > Some time before abandonment in 1971, the second
> > part of destination - & PA. STA. - vanished and
> > the loop was changed to Smithfield, Liberty, Wood and
> > Fort Pitt after the Pennsylvania Railroad Station
> > was closed.
>
> > ***What year it was?***
>
>
> No One answered this question for Boris except Matt who hinted
> at it as it was possibly  *reopened*  in the late 1970s for
> emergency usage.
>
> In a subsequent post Boris makes this observation:
>
> """So, the 44-KNOXVILLE cars ended to serve the PRR station after
> 1967 East lines abandonment because of Penn Ave track removal?"""
>
>
> > And another question migh be when was finished/opened
> > the bridge structure carrying the Fort Pitt Blvd.
>
>
> This was the mid to latter 1950s.    Sorry, can't be more
> specific at the moment.    The B&O station was moved to Grant
> Street.
>
> TrolleyCars still operated via shooflys on top of the pavement
> around the construction area  --  remember this well but don't
> have photos and can't find the same.
>
> > Happy New Year!
>
> > Boris
>
>
> <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
>
> Jim
RR
> <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
>