The Best Place to (Legally) Watch the Greenfield Bridge Implosion
The prime viewing areas will be tightly controlled.
photo by richard cook
Weather permitting, the 96-year-old Greenfield Bridge will be reduced to a giant pile of rubble and rebar at 9 a.m. Monday Dec. 28. In preparation for the implosion, the Parkway East will be shut down in both directions early Sunday, Dec. 27 and remain closed until the debris is cleaned up, approximately five days later. Outbound traffic will be detoured at the Forbes Avenue exit; inbound traffic will be detoured at the Edgewood/Swissvale exits.
Implosions of this magnitude often attract spectators, but unless you live in the parts of Greenfield overlooking the bridge, prime viewing spots will be hard to find.
Only local traffic will be allowed into Greenfield the morning of the implosion “to keep the tourists from getting into your neighborhood streets,” Department of Public Works Assistant Director Patrick Hassett told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
People will not be allowed within 200 feet of the bridge, and authorities will be stationed on roads and riding in helicopters watching for trespassers, the PG reports. The city suggests anyone who wants to watch should head to Overlook Drive in Schenley Park, although there are only a few spots at the top of the hill that offer an unobstructed view.
Hassett tells the paper the biggest risk could be particles in the air and that people living within 800 feet should stay indoors during the implosion.
“It won’t be anything like an explosion in a movie,” blast zone coordinator Tom Predis told the PG. “There will be dust,” but the amount and where it travels will depend on weather conditions.
––Richard Cook
#TrafficTieups: Butler County Light Display
When organizers first announced that Shadrack's Christmas Wonderland — a holiday light display synchronized to music — was coming to the Big Butler Fairgrounds, they predicted 100,000 visitors to the show. From the weekend traffic jams on route 422, it would appear that prediction will likely come true.
Visitors, particularly on weekend nights, have encountered two-mile back-ups in both directions, resulting in waits of two hours or more to reach the entrance gate. State police are urging drivers to use extreme caution in the area of the show.
“Right now, this show has set records for attendance for all the shows,” Shannon Glover of Shadrack’s told KDKA-TV. “It gets really backed up. We’ve added additional people to keep the lines open. We’ve got additional people at the ticket booth.”
The show ends Jan. 3.
––RC
#Matzoball: A Different kind of Christmas Eve Party
On Dec. 24, the 29th annual Matzoball will hit South Side's Diesel Club Lounge on East Carson Street from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
No, not the soup. Matzoball is a national holiday party known for bringing together Jewish singles for a chance to celebrate the eve without Christmas.
Christmas Eve for non-Christians can be anticlimactic and boring. Schools are closed, as are most workplaces — or they at least have reduced hours. Yet, with all that free time, there’s not much to do — not many people are out to party. To solve the problem Matzoball provides enough hype fit for the New Year — drinks, music and mingling with plenty of people in the same boat.
Tickets are available for $30 online, but they go quickly. Merry Matzoball!
