It has been 107 years since residents of Oakmont and Harmar had to deal with not having a bridge between their two towns.
The Hulton Bridge, which spans the Allegheny River and links Oakmont and Harmar, was built in 1908, originally made of wood and lit by gas lamps. Before it was built, the Hulton family, landowners in Oakmont, operated a ferry near the same location.
On Monday, the old bridge was closed forever. Its $65 million replacement is scheduled to open Oct. 20.
Until then, the roughly 14,000 cars that use the Hulton Bridge each day, according to PennDOT, will need to use the closest river crossings — the Highland Park Bridge, seven miles to the west, and the New Kensington Bridge, seven miles to the east.
“The last time the bridge was closed for two weeks, peak travel increased significantly on Allegheny River Boulevard,” which is on the Oakmont side, Steve Cowan, press officer for the state Department of Transportation, said. “It can be frustrating when you are stuck in a single lane of traffic and not making much progress. We will have police officers at key intersections to keep things moving.”
Travelers can visit www.511pa.com or call 511 to check traffic conditions and cameras on major roadways. The old bridge remains open to pedestrians.
The new bridge will will be a vast improvement, Mr. Cowan said. It will have four lanes, rather than two, as the old bridge had, and turning lanes onto Freeport Road on the Harmar side. It also will have a median, shoulder, a sidewalk and observation areas, all of which the old bridge didn’t have.
Losing the old bridge, however, is bittersweet for some.
“Closing the bridge doesn’t really affect me too much because I commute to Monroeville,” said Tom Ketterer of Oakmont. “But I will be very sad to see the old bridge go. I like old things. I think it gives Oakmont an old-town type of charm. It would have been nice to keep it as a walking bridge.”
Mr. Ketterer said he expects the new bridge may increase traffic because people will believe it will reduce travel times.
Marc Serrao, owner of Oakmont Bakery and the Oaks Theater, does not expect the bridge closing to have a significant effect on his businesses significantly.
“The bakery is a little slower in the mornings, but we haven’t really seen a big difference,” said Mr. Serrao, who noted that the bakery averages 600 to 1,500 customers each day. “I love the new improvement. It shows that while the town has its roots and history, there is an investment in the future. We have a saying, ‘Build our bridge and get over it.’ ’’
Businesses on the Harmar side see the impact of the bridge closure. According to Jamie Zyroll, store manager for Target on Freeport Road, previous bridge closings have reduced foot traffic and sales. “We’ve seen about a 7 percent drop in sales while the bridge is closed,” she said. “It’s not a big problem. We adjust our sales forecasts and staffing accordingly. The last time the bridge was closed, sales returned to normal the day it was re-opened.”
To celebrate the opening of the new bridge, many Oakmont businesses will stay open late Oct. 22, with some serving cocktails and snacks. The event is sponsored by the Oakmont Chamber of Commerce.
The new bridge will keep the Hulton Bridge name, although it wasn’t called that for a brief time in its 107-year history. In 1988, the state Legislature approved renaming the bridge in honor of the late state Rep. Joseph F. Bonetto, D-Plum. Plaques with Mr. Bonetto’s name were attached to the bridge, but Oakmont residents protested. After five years and three votes in Harrisburg, PennDOT removed the plaques with Bonetto’s name and officially re-renamed it the Jonathon Hulton Memorial Bridge after a local landowner.
In 1991, the bridge was painted lavender, a failed experiment that seemed to endear it even more to the local populace.
These are the posted detours.
From the West:
• Freeport Road (Route 1001) north to Route 910
• Left onto Route 910
• Route 28 south to the South Route 8 Highland Park Bridge/Aspinwall interchange (Exit 6)
• Highland Park Bridge to southbound Route 8 toward Washington Boulevard
• Follow Washington Boulevard to Allegheny River Boulevard (Route 130)
• Follow Allegheny River Boulevard back to the Hulton Bridge
From the East:
• Same detour in the opposite direction
Alternate detour (not posted) from the West:
• Freeport Road (Route 1001) north to Route 910
• Left onto Route 910
• Route 28 north to the Route 366 Tarentum/New Kensington interchange (Exit 14)
• Route 366 south
• Continue straight on Logans Ferry Road (Route 2075)
• Bear right onto Coxcomb Hill Road (Route 909/2082)
• Coxcomb Hill Road becomes Hulton Road
• Follow back to 3rd Street
Tim Means, freelance writer: suburbanliving@post-gazette.com
First Published: October 9, 2015, 4:00 a.m.
