Birmingham Bridge Preservation begins New Phase Monday 
PennDOT District 11 is announcing the next phase of work on the Birmingham Bridge Complex Preservation Project will begin Monday, March 14, weather permitting.
Beginning at 9 a.m. Monday, the southbound side of the Birmingham Bridge will close to traffic to begin preservation work. All southbound traffic will be shifted into the northbound lanes. The new configuration will consist of two northbound lanes and one southbound lane. Additionally, all bicycles and pedestrians will use the barrier protected northbound side of the bridge.
The on-ramp from Forbes Avenue to the Birmingham Bridge will close, as will the southbound sidewalk. Motorists will be detoured.
Car and Truck Detour from Forbes Avenue:
- Eastbound Forbes Avenue traffic will continue past the closed ramp
- Turn left onto Craft Avenue
- Turn left onto Fifth Avenue
- Follow Fifth Avenue back to the bridge
Additionally, left hand bicycle turns and pedestrian access from Fifth Avenue to the southbound bridge approach will be prohibited. Bicycle and pedestrian traffic will be detoured.
Posted Bicycle and Pedestrian Detour from Fifth Avenue:
- Follow Fifth Avenue past the intersection with the Birmingham Bridge
- Turn left onto Moultrie Street
- Turn left onto Forbes Avenue
- Continue past the closed on-ramp to the bridge
- Turn right onto the protected bi-directional bicycle and pedestrian lane
Bicyclists and pedestrians heading northbound across the bridge to Fifth Avenue will be detoured.
Posted Bicycle and Pedestrian Detour from Carson Street to Fifth Avenue:
- Follow the bi-directional protected bicycle and pedestrian lane northbound across the bridge and down the ramp to Forbes Avenue
- Turn left onto Forbes Avenue
- Cross Forbes Avenue at the crosswalk
- Turn right onto Moultrie Street
- Turn right onto Fifth Avenue
The new long-term configuration will remain in place around-the-clock through Sunday, November 13. Crews from Joseph B. Fay Company will begin bridge preservation work on the southbound side of the bridge including painting, structural steel repairs, bearing and expansion dam replacements, deck resurfacing and lighting replacement.
This work is part of the $28.5 million Birmingham Bridge Preservation Project, which includes painting of the entire superstructure, steel repairs, bearing replacements, substructure repairs, light pole replacements and a concrete overlay. The northbound side of the bridge was completed in 2015.
Construction will conclude in the spring of 2017.