Fort Pitt Tunnel & Bridge

The Fort Pitt Tunnel carries Interstate 376, US 22, US 30, and US 19 Truck between Downtown Pittsburgh and its West End Neighborhood in the PA. It has two lanes both inbound and outbound. The tunnel travels beneath Mount Washington. Its northern ramps lead directly to the double-deck Fort Pitt Bridge. To mesh with the bridge, the North portal has openings at two levels, with the eastern opening leading to the top deck of the bridge. At the South portal the openings are at the same level. "FORT PITT TUNNEL" is mounted in small letters on a grey marble-stone frame-like entrance way above the South portal, with large letters used in the North portal frame.Before entering the tunnel at its southwest end, one sees a commonplace view of Western Pennsylvania's rolling green hills, but upon exiting at the northeast end, one sees a spectacular view of Pittsburgh Skyline, cited by the New York Times as "the best way to enter an American city". The view was also the inspiration for the news open on CBS affiliate KDKA-TV for several years in the 1980s and 1990s. It is referenced in Stephen Chbosky's novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower.