The Fort Pitt Bridge and Tunnels were instrumental in linking the city with the suburbs to the south. The Parkway West extended all the way to the airport and on to Beaver Falls. This was just another of the major transportation upgrades that made Pittsburgh a much more accessible city for the suburban commuter. It's contributions to the development of the southern reaches of the metropolitan area rival those of the Liberty Bridge and Tunnels over thirty years before. The Fort Pitt Bridge opened to traffic on June 19, 1959.