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Sinkhole discovered in local railroad bridges raises safety concerns

PITTSBURGH — A local group that has raised concerns about the increasing double decker train traffic that Norfolk Southern wants to bring through Pittsburgh.

A sinkhole was discovered on the Merchant Street railroad bridge in Pittsburgh's North Side near the Clark Bar building.

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"It's actually within two feet of the rail line and you can see the steel girder infra structure at the bottom," Glenn Olcrest, a North Side resident and member of Rail Pollution Protection Pittsburgh, said.

Olcrest's group previously raised concerns when Norfolk Southern first proposed bringing double stacked freight through the area.

State Senator Wayne Fontana sent a letter to the Pennsylvania Utility Commission urging it to look into Norfolk Southern's bridge inspection program.

In an email to Target 11, Norfolk Southern said concrete has been used to fill the gap, and the bridge is structurally sound.

"The federal regulations require them to conduct inspections and repair promptly. This sinkhole  should have never gotten tot hat size if they were doing that," Olcrest said.

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