Boat events nixed due to swollen river

PITTSBURGH — Too much water will mean no boats — of any kind — at the Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta.

Officials canceled Formula One boat races and all other water-based events for the three-day festival, which began Friday, because the rain-swollen rivers are unsafe.

Officials were concerned about floating debris and faster-than-normal currents. This year is the first in the event’s 38-year history that all boating events have been canceled. The event normally draws about 500,000 people.

Concerts, the Fourth of July fireworks show, and other land-based events will go on normally.

But Jet Ski stunt shows scheduled Friday through Sunday and an “Anything that Floats” event, also scheduled for Sunday, were also canceled.

Construction crane topples onto building

PITTSBURGH — Construction crews were working to straighten a truck-mounted crane that toppled sideways and came to rest against a science building on the University of Pittsburgh campus.

Classes weren’t in session due to the holiday weekend and nobody was reported injured in the construction accident about 9:30 a.m. Friday.

Crews were using other equipment to stop the crane from leaning against Langley Hall, which, along with nearby Crawford and Clapp halls, house Pitt’s Departments of Biological Sciences and Neuroscience. All three buildings were closed as a precaution.

Workers say the crane was being used for work on Ruskin Hall, a dormitory, when it toppled onto Langley.

A Pitt spokesman didn’t immediately return an e-mail seeking additional information.

Poll: 85% say keep bridges yellow

PITTSBURGH — An online poll that drew more than 12,000 votes shows nearly 85 percent of Pittsburghers don’t want the city’s three “sister bridges” across the Allegheny River to be painted a different color when they’re rehabbed.

So, the Roberto Clemente, Andy Warhol and Rachel Carson — or 6th, 7th and 9th street — bridges will remain “Aztec Gold.”

The suspension bridges were built between 1924 and 1928 and connect downtown with the city’s North Shore.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Allegheny County, which owns the bridges, are scheduled to rebuild and repaint the spans starting with the Warhol bridge early next year.

The county and city conducted the poll after suggestions that the Warhol be painted silver, the Carson bridge be painted green and the Clemente span be repainted yellow.