A. Drivers crossing the Fort Duquesne Bridge toward Downtown will have to exit onto Fort Duquesne Boulevard or the 10th Street Bypass. All other lanes -- to the Fort Pitt Bridge, the Parkway East and Fort Pitt Boulevard -- are closed. Drivers on the 10th Street Bypass and Fort Duquesne Boulevard will not be able to go directly onto the Fort Pitt Bridge because those ramps are also closed.

Q. How long will the project last?

A. At least 50 days, though it could be closer to 90.

Q: What kinds of travel delays are expected?

A: Travel delays are always difficult to estimate, but it’s safe to say rush-hour commuters can expect to hear more of their favorite morning drive shows -- probably at least 15 minutes more. There are many unpredictable factors, such as the detours and alternate routes that drivers select and how many drivers decide to become public transit riders, but all commuters can expect to see effects. And although ramps labeled "outbound" to the Fort Pitt Bridge are being closed, engineers feel that people who will be delayed most are those who normally would cross the Fort Duquesne Bridge to enter Downtown in the morning.

Q: Will pedestrian traffic to and from the North Shore be affected?

A: No. The pedestrian walkway on the Fort Duquesne Bridge will be open, as will the pedestrian access under the "portal bridge" that serves as the gateway to Point State Park.

Q: What happens with Fort Pitt Boulevard, the Mon Parking Wharf and the Smithfield Street Bridge?

A: Nothing. Those routes and facilities will remain open. But reaching them from the Fort Duquesne Bridge will require choosing among several detours.

Q: Traffic signals will be disconnected at the West End Circle and at the north end of the West End Bridge to permit a continuous flow of southbound traffic from Interstate 279, around the Downtown, and onto the Parkway West. But what happens to other traffic?

A: Any other drivers from the North Side trying to use the West End Bridge to get to the West End will have to use a detour, because the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation doesn’t want to interrupt the main I-279 detour.

For example, since Western Avenue traffic will be unable to use the bridge directly in the southbound direction, those drivers will be detoured toward Manchester -- to Beaver Avenue and Route 65 -- where they can turn around to get on the bridge from the other direction.

Q: What happens after this so-called "first phase" of work is finished?

A: Then the Liberty Avenue on-ramp to the Fort Pitt Bridge (near the Pittsburgh Hilton and Towers) will be closed for reconstruction, tentatively around Aug. 1, for up to 45 days. Work will also be done on a short section of the 10th Street Bypass on-ramp to the bridge. But that can take place only between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays, with the exception of two weekends when the contractor will be permitted to close the on-ramp completely.

Q: What’s the best advice for motorists?

A: People who work or visit Downtown regularly should learn alternate routes and consider changing their commuting time if possible. People who visit Downtown only occasionally for appointments, shopping and events are advised to avoid rush hours, follow signs and -- in a pinch -- follow the car in front of them. Remember that the majority of bridges and roads will be open, without restrictions, and that therefore a large number of people won’t be affected by the Fort Pitt project. There’s another alternative that’s always recommended: public transit.

Q: Is it only Pittsburgh where road and bridge construction projects will disrupt traffic and lives this extensively?

A: Not at all. Here are some examples. An interstate highway is being relocated underground through the heart of Boston, a multibillion-dollar project known as the Big Dig, while the transit system is extending the subway.

Salt Lake City is rebuilding and expanding its transportation infrastructure in preparation for the 2002 Winter Olympics.

In Philadelphia, the Delaware River Port Authority has been improving the seven-lane Walt Whitman Bridge, and restricting traffic, since 1994.

Compared to all of them, what we’re doing this summer is small potatoes.

Q: When construction takes place here, why does it seem as if everything is tied up?