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Beams that will ultimately support the rebuilt Fern Hollow Bridge will begin their 124-mile journey Monday from Central Pennsylvania to Frick Park, according to PennDOT officials.

The beams were produced in Roaring Spring in Blair County and will travel through Cambria and Armstrong counties before ending up on the South Dallas Side of Frick Park.

Monday’s delivery is the first of 21 beams needed to rebuild the bridge, said PennDOT spokeswoman Nicole Haney. Fourteen beams will ultimately be transported to the Squirrel Hill side of the project, she said, and seven will be delivered to the Regent Square side.

She said two beams are expected to be delivered per day through Aug. 5.

With the deliveries come rolling closures along the route, including on Forbes Avenue.

The beams are around 150 feet long, eight feet high, four feet wide and weigh about 100 tons, Haney said. The massive truck loads will require closures on some bridges, and they will receive a police escort once they reach the city.

The loads will travel Route 28 southbound, I-579 southbound over the Veterans Bridge, the Boulevard of the Allies and Forbes Avenue. More details will be provided regarding routes on the Parkway East and South Braddock Avenue before those deliveries begin.

The bridge, part of Forbes Avenue over Frick Park, collapsed about 6:40 a.m. Jan. 28, sending a Port Authority bus and several cars tumbling more than 100 feet into the ravine below.

Construction of the new span began in earnest in May.

The speed at which the project is moving has drawn criticism from activists and some city officials.

PennDOT is overseeing the design and construction, and the city will take control once the bridge is finished. Because the work is being done under an emergency declaration, much of the traditional public input will be bypassed.

Megan Guza is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Megan at 412-380-8519, mguza@triblive.com or via Twitter .

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