Ceremony Marks Opening Of New Hulton Bridge

OAKMONT (KDKA) - The brand new Hulton Bridge officially opened Tuesday.

The $65 million, four-lane bridge that connects Harmar and Oakmont is replacing its 107-year-old predecessor. The old bridge is slated for demolition in 2016.

A ceremony Tuesday morning marked the opening of the new bridge. A large crowd attended the event, including Gov. Tom Wolf.

"This is the kind of thing that every once in a while, as much as you want to demonize and as many things that are wrong with government, when we get it right, we can get it right and this is an example of when we get it right. We're doing things that we all need. We all need to work together, link arms and get it done. That's what this bridge represents. It's really a triumph of human beings, ordinary human beings working together to get something that's really important to all of us done and I think we ought to celebrate that," Wolf said.

The governor and those who represent this area say it's a bridge that means a lot more than just a more effecting movement of traffic.

"It will open up all the communities in the Allegheny Valley," said Pennsylvania Rep. Frank Dermody. "It's huge, it will make a big difference in the quality of life."

The lanes on the new bridge are 11 feet wide. For comparison, the old bridge's lanes were only 10-feet-5-inches wide. There is plenty of room for bicycles and pedestrians and a divider down the middle of the bridge.

Folks who live and work on the Oakmont side say it's a game changer.

"I think it's awesome, it's really great," said one resident. "I'm very excited about it."

"We get to spend more money on the other side of the river because we will get there faster," said another resident.

The old bridge had been closed for the last two weeks, which had caused traffic headaches along detour routes. The good news is that commuters were able to use the new bridge for the afternoon commute.

However, the two lanes will merge into one lane at the end of the bridge for now as work is still being completed on the right lane.

Everything will be finished well before the first golfer arrives for the US Open next June at Oakmont, but that's eight months away.

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