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Contractor: First phase of Liberty Bridge repairs almost complete

PITTSBURGH — The contractor for the Liberty Bridge work said Thursday that the first phase of repairs is almost complete,

As of Thursday at 8 p.m. the critical replacement beam had arrived, but Dan Cessna, district executive for PennDOT engineering District 11-0, said additional safety measure parts had not been delivered.

The 30-foot beam was damaged in this month's fire and is the key component in fixing the bridge. Crews were supposed to start installing the beam on Thursday, but Cessna announced after its arrival that the beam would be installed Friday.

PennDOT officials said they still hope to reopen the bridge on Monday, but that depends on the repair process. Cessna said he will provide an update on Friday.

The contractor, Joseph B. Fay Co., continues to pay $213,000 each day that the bridge remains closed.

Workers from the company who were refurbishing the bridge used a blowtorch that sparked a fire on the bridge Sept. 2, officials said.

The fire was so intense that the beam started to melt and the bridge itself was very close to giving way.

“Refurbishing a bridge that opened in 1928 is filled with many complexities,” the company’s executive vice president, Jim Wilkinson, said in a statement released to Channel 11 News.

“To put that challenge in perspective, we are applying modern engineering solutions to a bridge that was completed the same year that sliced bread was first sold commercially,” Wilkinson said.

The company will also have to pay to repair the damage to the bridge.

“We opened shops as early as the Labor Day weekend for customized fabrication of the parts to repair the bridge,” Wilkinson said. “Experts have been flown in from all over the country who are reviewing the design and additional materials may be needed based on their assessment.”

Stay with Channel 11 News and WPXI.com for continuing coverage. 

Cox Media Group

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