Three Rivers Stadium implosion was 17 years ago
Sunday marks 17 years since Three Rivers Stadium came down.
Yup, it's been that long.
The stadium, which the Steelers and Pirates both called home before going their separate ways, was imploded on the morning of Feb. 11, 2001.
That day was a Sunday, too.
After dominating the North Shore for 30 years, it was reduced to rubble in 19 seconds.
Heinz Field, just 60 feet away, has been the Steelers' home since. The Pirates went upriver to PNC Park.
Despite being so close, the new football stadium was not damaged. Other than a few pebbles that were quickly swept up, nearby bridges and roads were not damaged, either.
The blast was designed so the stadium fell section-by-section, instead of all at once, to lessen vibrations.
Controlled Demolition handled the implosion.
About 100,000 cubic yards of the stadium's concrete was used as fill at the Leetsdale Industrial Park. Much of the estimated 7,000 tons of steel was to be recycled.
But while the stadium is gone, its website isn't — www.3riversstadium.com remains active.
Three Rivers opened July 16, 1970.
The stadium was the site of the first World Series night game on Oct. 13, 1971. All-Star Games were played at the stadium in 1974 and 1994, as well as two World Series, in 1971 and 1979.
Three Rivers Stadium also was home to the Steelers when they won four of their six Super Bowls.
It was where Roberto Clemente made his 3,000th hit on Sept. 30, 1972, and where Franco Harris made the "Immaculate Reception" on Dec. 23, 1972.
The Steelers remembered their "immaculate times" at the stadium in a tweet on Sunday:
We had some immaculate times at Three Rivers Stadium. #SteelersHistory #ImmaculateReception pic.twitter.com/F5xEbYOd3j
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) February 12, 2018
The multi-use facility had also hosted many concerts and special events.
The Heinz History Center recently featured Three Rivers for a Throwback Thursday:
#TBT with this aerial view of Three Rivers Stadium and the North Side. Until February 2001, Three Rivers Stadium occupied 27 acres of the North Side neighborhood of Pittsburgh on the former site of Exposition Park. pic.twitter.com/pBqdRNzJtm
— Heinz History Center (@HistoryCenter) February 1, 2018
Brian C. Rittmeyer is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-226-4701, brittmeyer@tribweb.com or on Twitter @BCRittmeyer.
