The first overnight closing of the southbound lanes of the Fort Duquesne Bridge is in the books and it turns out the work between now and February on the bridge won't be the end of it.

The work on the bridge has been split and it will last into 2027 in order to minimize the disruption to most of the 44,000 drivers who use the Fort Duquesne Bridge each way everyday.

Inspectors have gone over the bridge with the engineers' equivalent to a fine-toothed comb and now comes the work, which PennDOT Assistant Executive of Construction Doug Thompson says has to do with maintaining the concrete that comes with the life cycle of the bridge.

But it's not the driving surface that needs the work. It's the underside of both decks of the bridge. So why close the driving lanes?

"In some cases, we have to stage our equipment," Thompson said. "For example, on the lower deck, and reach up to the underside of the deck above to do the work."

The quickest way to get all the needed work done would be to shut it down for weeks, which Thompson says isn't possible. 

Every night between now and late February, the lower deck and the ramps that feed it from Rt. 65, from the Parkway North, and from Rt. 28 will close from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., except during games and when there are events on the North Shore. 

"We're very aware of all those events," Thompson said. "We've been coordinating with those people already, and we'll continue to do our best to, you know, to try to coordinate our work with those events."

All the work won't end in February, however, as there's steel repair to do.

"There'll be more restrictions to come, next year, for the next couple of years out there, too," Thompson said.

Those restrictions will come after the 2026 NFL Draft comes to Pittsburgh and will require closures of the southbound lower deck during overnight hours for several weeks.

The upper outbound deck of the bridge will need to be closed for periods of time, as well. Some of those closures will come as soon as this fall.