Baker to Design West End Circle Improvements.

PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 26, 1999--

Michael Baker Jr., Inc., has been selected by the Allegheny County Department of Public Works to study and design improvements of the West End Circle area in Pittsburgh under a $4.7 million contract. Michael Baker Jr., Inc., is a subsidiary of Michael Baker Corporation (AMEX:BKR).

The West End Circle is located adjacent to Pittsburgh's downtown area and is a critical link between the south shore of the Ohio River and the West End Bridge which links with the north shore. Under this contract, Baker will be studying alternatives to improve traffic flow in this area. One critical change under consideration is shifting Saw Mill Run Boulevard so it will have a direct connection with the West End Bridge. This change promises to reduce travel time and congestion in the area.

Joseph DiFiore, Baker's project manager, says work will be carried out on a fast-track schedule that is designed to bring improvements to this area before the closure of the Fort Pitt Bridge, Pittsburgh's primary highway link, in 2002. DiFiore says Baker has been awarded a multi-phase contract that includes preliminary and final engineering design, environmental studies and construction consultation services.

This project is being funded and supported by Allegheny County, the City of Pittsburgh, the Port Authority of Allegheny County, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration.

Michael Baker Corporation (www.mbakercorp.com) provides engineering, management and operations services through its five business units: buildings, civil, energy, environmental, and transportation.