The Fort Duquesne Bridge is a steel bowstring arch bridge that spans the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania . It was colloquially referred to as " The Bridge to Nowhere " prior to its completion.
32-447: The bridge was constructed from 1958-1963 by PennDOT , and opened for traffic on October 17, 1969, with its predecessor Manchester Bridge (located closer to the tip of Point State Park ) closing that same day (it was demolished in the autumn of 1970). The bridge was named "The Bridge to Nowhere" because the main span was finished in 1963, but due to delays in acquiring the right of way for the northern approach ramps, it did not connect on
64-551: A local origination cable television station . Service Electric Network carries local news and sports, including coverage of East Penn Conference high school football , boys' and girls' basketball , and wrestling , and some Lehigh University football games. In 2008, Service Electric Network began carrying home games of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs , the AAA-level Minor League affiliate of
96-401: A DMV office in other states, are handled by a network of private businesses called "messenger services", which contract with the department. They operate by charging service fees on top of the fees that PennDOT charges. Some messenger services also have a limited ability to perform driver's license services, such as changing a driver's license address or renewing a driver's license, but not taking
128-648: A great deal. PennDOT is organized into five deputates which oversee various transportation functions. The Highway Administration deputate oversees 39,737 miles (63,951 km) of roadway and 25,400 bridges in Pennsylvania which comprise the Pennsylvania State Route System . The deputate is made up of over 9,300 employees in design, construction, maintenance, materials testing, environmental review, safety, and traffic engineering. There are eleven engineering districts located throughout
160-565: A program to quadruple state funding for bridge repairs. Across the United States, 61,000 bridges are deemed "structurally deficient", which means they need repairs, contain a piece rated as "poor," and might also have a weight limit. The term structurally deficient does not mean a bridge is unsafe for travel. In Pennsylvania, eight of the top ten most traveled structurally deficient bridges are in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania has
192-417: A replacement for a lost drivers license. In addition to this, the department also operates "Photo License Centers" which solely take photographs for drivers licenses. There are 75 Drivers and Photo License Centers and 26 Photo License Centers operated by PennDOT. Transactions relating to motor vehicles, such as vehicle title transfers or replacing a lost registration plate , which would typically be handled by
224-407: Is also in charge of Pennsylvania Welcome Centers located along major highways entering the state. According to a 2011 study by Transportation for America , 26.5% of Pennsylvania's bridges were structurally deficient and the state led the United States with six metropolitan areas with a high percentage of deficient bridges. These figures would have been higher, but the state had recently undertaken
256-579: Is also in charge of the cash flow from the federal and state governments to fund improvement projects along with working on long-range research and map making. The Multimodal Transportation deputate oversees aviation , rail freight transport , public transportation , ports , and pedestrian and bicycle transportation. The deputate oversees airports in Pennsylvania , which includes 127 public airports, 243 private airports, and 280 private heliports. Multimodal Transportation also looks over 65 railroads which operate over 5,600 miles (9,000 km) of track in
288-875: Is currently based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania , and services the Lehigh Valley and Northeastern Pennsylvania regions in Pennsylvania , and Hunterdon and Warren counties in New Jersey . On February 18, 2011 the Service Electric Cablevision affiliate acquired CATV Service Inc., based in Danville, Pennsylvania . The cable system in Mahanoy City became a sister company to Service Electric Cable TV & Communications, taking
320-2205: Is divided into engineering districts to localize engineering and maintenance. The following is a table of the districts and their associated headquarters. The statewide headquarters for PennDOT is located in the Commonwealth Keystone Building in Harrisburg . Erie County Forest County Mercer County Venango County Warren County Centre County Clearfield County Clinton County Elk County Juniata County McKean County Mifflin County Potter County Lycoming County Montour County Northumberland County Snyder County Sullivan County Tioga County Union County Lehigh County Monroe County Northampton County Schuylkill County Delaware County Montgomery County City and County of Philadelphia Dauphin County Franklin County Lancaster County Lebanon County Perry County York County Blair County Cambria County Fulton County Huntingdon County Somerset County Butler County Clarion County Indiana County Jefferson County Beaver County Lawrence County Greene County Washington County Westmoreland County PennDOT has received criticism over
352-471: Is supported by motor vehicle fuel taxes, which are dedicated solely to transportation-related state expenditures. In recent years, PennDOT has focused on intermodal transportation , which is an attempt to enhance commerce and public transportation. PennDOT employs approximately 11,000 people. PennDOT has extensive traffic cameras set up throughout the state's major cities, including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown , Erie, Wilkes-Barre , Scranton , and
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#1732782500812384-659: The Lehigh Valley , an overbuild environment exists in many communities in which subscribers can choose between two competing cable television providers. Service Electric and RCN offer similar but not duplicative programming packages. In Wilkes-Barre , Service Electric competes with newcomer Loop Internet , a local internet service provider specializing in fiber-optic communication including internet and telephone . Despite not offering cable television plans, Loop competes with Service Electric by offering faster Internet plans as well as VOIP telephone services. In most other areas served by one of Service Electric's family of companies,
416-571: The Lehigh Valley . Service Electric also offers broadband Internet and telephone services through PenTeleData and Alianza, both of which are partner companies. The company was started in 1948 in Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania by John Walson , who owned a General Electric appliance store. At the time, the surrounding mountains in Schuylkill County made over-the-air reception from Philadelphia television stations difficult. Walson
448-987: The Philadelphia Phillies . The games are televised from Coca-Cola Park in Allentown . Service Electric Network also carries home games of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms , the AHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers . The station has added coverage of the Reading Phillies , the Philadelphia Phillies' AA-level minor league baseball affiliate, and Bethlehem Steel FC soccer games. The network rebranded as Service Electric Network from TV2 Sports in May 2020. In
480-603: The City's North Shore. PennDOT The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation ( PennDOT ) oversees transportation issues in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania . The administrator of PennDOT is the Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation, Michael B. Carroll . PennDOT supports nearly 40,000 miles (64,000 km) of state roads and highways, about 25,000 bridges, and new roadway construction with
512-552: The Commonwealth. Greatest growth in the state highway system occurred in 1931 when 20,156 miles (32,438 km) of rural roads were taken over by the Commonwealth. At that time, the Department of Highways, at the direction of Governor Gifford Pinchot , embarked upon an extensive program of paving rural roadways, well known as the "get the farmer out of the mud" program. The Federal Government in 1916 instituted grants to
544-638: The associated photo. An exception to this method of operation is at the PennDOT headquarters in Harrisburg , which has a large room for all motor vehicle transactions and drivers' license transactions, with a separate room for photographing and issuing licenses to motorists. The Planning deputate develops the Twelve Year Transportation Program in collaboration with the federal government and local planning organizations, which guides improvements to transportation in Pennsylvania. It
576-502: The city responded by blocking off the end of the bridge with concrete barriers. The northwestern ramps were completed in 1969, allowing access to Pennsylvania Route 65 , while the northeastern ramps were completed in 1986, with the construction of the northern section of Interstate 279 ( North Shore Expressway ) which runs through Downtown Pittsburgh's Golden Triangle and north towards Interstate 79 . The bridge touches down halfway between Heinz Field and PNC Park Baseball Stadium on
608-796: The end of the bridge, and landed upside-down but unhurt on the other side, 190 feet away at the north bank of the Allegheny River. His adventure is documented in WQED-TV 's double Mid-Atlantic region Emmy Award -winning documentary "Flying off the Bridge to Nowhere and Other Tales of Pittsburgh Bridges", narrated by Rick Sebak . Within a few weeks of this near tragedy, an iconic Pittsburgh radio personality, Rege Cordic , distributed commemorative bumper stickers which read "Official Entry, Cordic & Company Bridge Leap Contest." With thousands of vehicles bearing these stickers on Pittsburgh's streets,
640-597: The exception of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission . Other modes of transportation supervised or supported by PennDOT include aviation , rail traffic , mass transit , intrastate highway shipping traffic, motor vehicle safety and licensing, and driver licensing . PennDOT supports the Ports of Philadelphia , Pittsburgh , and Erie . The department's current budget is approximately $ 3.8 billion in federal and state funds. The state budget
672-675: The first cable TV system in the United States. Until Walson's death, the company was known as Service Electric Cable TV, Inc., which was based in Bethlehem . In early 2011, Service Electric commenced offloading cable systems from its Service Electric Cable Company affiliate. Service Electric Cable TV, Inc. was composed of three divisions, eventually becoming Service Electric Cable TV & Communications, Service Electric Cable TV of New Jersey, and Service Electric Cablevision. The cable system in Wilkes-Barre and vicinity moved operations to Service Electric Cable TV & Communications , which
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#1732782500812704-568: The highest number of structurally deficient bridges in the U.S. Overall, the state has 25,000 bridges excluding privately owned bridges, which is the third-largest number of bridges in the U.S. Pennsylvania has launched a program called the Rapid Bridge Replacement project to increase the number of bridges it fixes. The project is a public-private partnership between PennDOT and the private firm Plenary Walsh Keystone Partners. The project fixed almost 700 bridges in 2014. PennDOT
736-758: The legislature on May 6, 1970. The intent of the legislation was to consolidate transportation-related functions formerly performed in the Departments of Commerce, Revenue, Community Affairs, Forests and Waters, Military Affairs and other state agencies. PennDOT is responsible for constructing and maintaining a system of roads at the sole expense of the state. It controls more than 41,000 miles (66,000 km) of roadway. Townships control approximately 51,376 miles (82,682 km) of roads and streets; boroughs, 9,460 miles (15,220 km) and cities 6,779 miles (10,910 km). In all, there are more than 118,226 miles (190,266 km) of public roads, streets and toll roads in
768-722: The name Service Electric Cablevision and serving Birdsboro , Hazleton , and Sunbury. John E. Walson, eldest son of John Walson, ran Service Electric Cable TV, Inc. for 38 years until his death in August 2012. John M. Walson has taken over the role of president since his father's death. On July 13, 2020, Altice USA , a cable, phone, and internet provider headquartered in Long Island City , New York, acquired Service Electric Cable TV of New Jersey, which serviced Sussex County, New Jersey , for $ 150 million. The company's Lehigh Valley system operates Service Electric Network (SEN),
800-465: The north side of the Allegheny River. The total cost was budgeted at $ 5 million in 1962. The lack of approach ramps meant the bridge ended in midair, rendering it useless. On December 12, 1964, Frederick Williams, a 21-year-old chemistry major at the University of Pittsburgh from Basking Ridge, New Jersey , drove his 1959 Chrysler station wagon through the bridge's wooden barricades, raced off
832-401: The state capital of Harrisburg , In Wilkes-Barre, cameras are fed through to a television channel for Service Electric cable customers in the city and its suburbs. Unlike speed cameras , these cameras are primarily installed for ITS purposes, and not for law enforcement. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation was created from the former Department of Highways by Act 120, approved by
864-541: The state. PennDOT is responsible for motor vehicle titles and registration, along with issuing driver licenses through the Driver & Vehicle Services deputate. Somewhat uniquely, PennDOT does not operate typical DMV offices, such as those that exist in other states. Rather, they operate "Driver and Photo License Centers", for full service regarding drivers licenses. This includes activities like taking driver's tests, getting driver's license photographs taken, or requesting
896-410: The state. The administration deputate is charged with managing various bureaus that overee fiscal management, computer systems, mobile applications, telecommunications, contract compliance, training, employee safety, human resources, office services, facilities management, quality improvements, partnerships with other government agencies and communities, and employees engagement activities. The deputate
928-996: The state. PennDOT oversees bicycle routes across the state, including the state-designated BicyclePA bicycle routes and the portions of the federally-designated United States Bicycle Route System located within Pennsylvania. PennDOT provides the primary funding for two Amtrak trains in Pennsylvania that operate along the Keystone Corridor . The Keystone Service runs between Harrisburg and New York City via Philadelphia and offers multiple daily departures. The Pennsylvanian runs between Pittsburgh and New York City via Philadelphia and operates once daily in each direction. The Mulitmodal Transportation deputate supports public transit authorities in Pennsylvania , which consists of 34 agencies providing fixed-route and demand responsive transport to urban and rural areas and 18 agencies providing demand responsive transport only. The deputate also supports intercity bus service in
960-495: The states for highway construction. These grants continue today and now comprise the key element in determining the size of the state's roadbuilding programs. State payments to local communities for road maintenance also have continued to expand so that they average approximately $ 170 million annually. The agency went into well-noted organizational decline. An effort to bring quality management principles to PennDOT over an extended period—four changes of state governor—accomplished
992-464: The years regarding the quality of the roads in the Commonwealth, as Pennsylvania has previously ranked among the worst maintained road systems in the United States . Service Electric Service Electric is a group of affiliated cable television companies serving eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey , United States. The company is headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in
Fort Duquesne Bridge - Misplaced Pages Continue
1024-430: Was interested in selling television sets through his store, and solved the problem by building an antenna on top of the mountain overlooking the town. He initially ran a cable to his warehouse and then to his appliance store, using boosters to enhance the signal. Along the way, he hooked up neighbors to the antenna system. Although there are others who have laid claim to the honor, Walson is often recognized for having built
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