Hot Metal Bridge

I was originally going to mention this on Monday but the Post-Gazette had an article stating that bidding for the refurbishing of the Hot Metal Bridge opens next week. Construction of the $7 million project would begin in July and be complete by the fall of 2007. The concern I have is how this will affect traffic on the trail. Will they need to close the trail completely for construction or will they be able to allow passage as they did where there was Parkway East abutment construction a few years back?

Of course, if all goes well, I will be working elsewhere and won't be riding that section of trail on a daily basis so construction will not have a direct affect on me.I'm actually much more interested in the progress in connecting Pittsburgh to Mckeesport. Sandcastle still wants nothing to do with a trail running across or even by their property. If this could be resolved, I would make a short drive from Turtle Creek across the river to Homestead and ride the rest of the way into town. And further up the Mon, USS aparently would be willing to have the trail have a section of property so long as someone else pays the millions for the EPA mandated cleanup.