After months of deconstruction, implosion and removal of the old Greenfield Bridge, signs of its replacement began rising from the ground last week.

Crews for Mosites Heavy Construction began pouring footings Thursday for a new bridge pier on the Greenfield side of the Parkway East, one of the first visible signs of the new bridge. Crews will pour 220 cubic yards of concrete for each of two footings on each side of the highway that will support two piers for the new bridge.

“You’re going to start seeing [elements of the new bridge] growing up out of the ground,” said Derrick Jeannerette, project manager for Mosites.

Since the old bridge was demolished and hauled away in late December, crews have been preparing the ground on both sides of the Parkway East for new piers. They have installed 106 micropiles into the bedrock on the Greenfield side of the highway to support the new piers and another 60 will be placed on the Oakland side.

The footings will be poured using a new technique designed to prevent cracking in the concrete as it cures. The footings have plastic pipes running through them that will carry cold water to help the concrete cure evenly.

When the curing is done, the pipes will be filled with grout to eliminate hollow spots in the footings.

When the piers are in place, they will stand 70 to 80 feet above ground.

The Greenfield Bridge, which connects Greenfield with Schenley Park above the Parkway East, closed in October so that crews could remove as much decking and other material as possible before it was imploded in December. The demolition closed the highway for four days while crews placed explosives, dropped the bridge and cleared the remnants.

Now, contractors have begun the process of building the new structure, a project that will cost $17.5 million and is on schedule for completion in September 2017. One major element, installation of the steel structure across the highway, is expected to occur in November and will involve another weekend closure of the Parkway East.

Meanwhile, motorists seem to have adjusted to the bridge being unavailable, and the Greenfield business district hasn’t taken too much of hit in lost customers. Traffic backs up on Murray Avenue in Squirrel Hill and Swinburne Street in Oakland during the afternoon rush hour, but the situation has been manageable, said Pat Hassett, Pittsburgh’s deputy public works director who lives in the neighborhood.

“It’s backed up, but people just aren’t screaming as much,” Mr. Hassett said.

Pittsburgh Councilman Corey O’Connor, who represents the neighborhood, said he has been pleased with how traffic has adjusted to the bridge closure.

“It hasn’t been as bad as we expected,” Mr. O’Connor said. “I’ve even gotten some calls that some neighbors don’t want the bridge back because it’s been so calm.”

Ed Blazina: eblazina@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1470.

First Published: May 16, 2016, 4:00 a.m.