Pedestrian Bridges
Client: Duquesne University
Location: City of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University Campus
While big-city colleges have their appeal, they also have their pitfalls. Seated atop the bluff, Duquesne University faces the challenge of the varying terrain of Pittsburgh. Roads are placed between hills and ridges, making travel on foot occasionally dangerous. Duquesne and TEDCO began the process of removing the danger of being a pedestrian student by building the Rockwell Hall Skywalk. It spans Locust Street and connects crucial parts of main campus. This bridge was the first of four pedestrian bridges that TEDCO built for Duquesne.
The main campus was connected to Second Avenue and the South Side via the Boulevard of the Allies Bridge. Three years later, the Fisher Hall Skywalk interconnected the campus at a crucial point. Nearly 800 students and faculty were crossing traffic-heavy Forbes Avenue per hour at the time, making this bridge a safety necessity. The Sklar Skywalk was then added, connecting the Forbes Avenue Power Center facility with the heart of the Duquesne Campus.
The Sklar Skywalk
“Quintessentially Pittsburgh: a bridge in the city of bridges, made of steel and glass in a city that brought steel and glass to the world. … In the spirit of its’ namesakes, it will attract and inspire photographers for generations to come.”
–Duquesne University President Charles J. Dougherty
Architect: WTW Architects
The most recently completed pedestrian bridge on Duquesne’s campus, pictured top center, is the Sklar Skywalk.
Sklar Skywalk sits at the upper campus level at Duquesne University, transporting students over Forbes Avenue. This skywalk stands 80 feet above the road, and is considered to be the highest pedestrian bridge in the city.
500,000 pounds of steel superstructure, metal roofing, aluminum window wall, and exposed aggregate concrete deck connect the Forbes Garage to the Power Center. The multi-purpose facility was built with the Urban Redevelopment Authority to revitalize this area of historic Pittsburgh.
The structure pays homage to Pittsburgh, as well as the Catholic university, with a contemporary frame and crosses built into each tower.
The City of Pittsburgh gave us one weekend to close Forbes Avenue to erect the center portion of the Sklar Skywalk 80 feet above the roadway. TEDCO built the center section on the ground and lifted it into place over one weekend, and it fit like a glove. All of the work was well coordinated, timelines were met, and the project came in under budget. There was not one safety incidence during the entire project.
I would highly recommend TEDCO. As you can clearly see, TEDCO has not only constructed one of our bridges, but four of them. TEDCO does excellent work.