PennDOT explains how it tries to keep Liberty, Squirrel Hill Tunnels safe

PITTSBURGH — Traffic is ever-flowing in the Pittsburgh tunnels no matter the time of day.

“Fort Pitt sees about 80,000 vehicles a day, Liberty sees about 30,000, and the Squirrel Hill sees over 100,000 vehicles a day, it’s never a dull moment,” said Paul Manyisha who’s PennDOT Tunnel Manager.

From crashes to breakdowns, inside each tunnel is a team ready to work.

“It’s all about safe quick clearance with us. We want to clear the incident safely quickly and open traffic quickly so people can get to where they need to go,” Manyisha said.

That starts with a team of first responders monitoring all the camera systems plus a state police satellite office inside the Squirrel Hill tunnel.

“Our tunnel maintainers can do everything from tow a vehicle, change tires, provide gasoline and just really assist motorists in their time of need. They really are some of PennDOT’s heroes,” Manyisha said.

Channel 11 saw it all in action just weeks ago when a nine-car crash shut down the Liberty Tunnel for several hours during rush hour traffic to the Steelers game.

PHOTOS: Nine-vehicle crash shuts down Liberty Tunnel in both directions

Not only did PennDOT have to coordinate getting vehicles out of the tunnel, but also kicked on fans as the carbon monoxide was building up.

“We can change the speed of the fans at a moment’s notice to account for the rise in carbon monoxide in the tunnels. Ventilation is very important, so we want to make sure we are constantly monitoring,” Manyisha said.

This is a 24/7 365-day operation to make sure no matter what you feel safe going through the Pittsburgh landmarks.

“You never know what you are going to get on a daily basis, it could be slow at the Liberty one day and super busy the next,” Manyisha said.

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