PennDOT announced today that it has awarded a contract for extensive work on the Fort Duquesne Bridge.

The nearly $24 million contract was awarded to the Trumbull Corp. of West Mifflin for the project to preserve the bridge and various ramps. Construction could begin as early as mid-July and conclude in fall 2010.

The Fort Duquesne Bridge preservation project is one of seven projects in PennDOT's three-county District 11 region being funded by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Pennsylvania is receiving more than $1 billion for highway and bridge projects from the stimulus funds. The Route 22/30/60 interchange project in Robinson Township was the first ARRA project underway in Allegheny County.

The 921-foot long Fort Duquesne Bridge carries I-279 over the Allegheny River. The bridge opened to traffic in 1959 and typically carries approximately 41,576 vehicles in the northbound (upper deck) direction and 39,380 in the southbound (lower deck) direction each day.

The project includes improvements on 16 bridge and ramp structures interchanging with the Fort Duquesne Bridge. Work includes steel repairs, expansion dam replacements, concrete deck and substructure repairs, resetting rocker bearings, signs and pavement markings.