City of Pittsburgh releases comprehensive report on state of bridges

PITTSBURGH — The City of Pittsburgh released a comprehensive report on the state of city-owned bridges on Thursday.

The program was launched in the spring after the unexpected collapse of the Fern Hollow Bridge in  January.

RELATED >>> Safety changes to be made with Fern Hollow Bridge reopening

“When Fern Hollow Bridge came down, I knew that we had work to do to understand the condition of our city owned bridges, to make needed repairs, and to instill confidence in our infrastructure,” said Mayor Ed Gainey in a release. “This report of the Bridge Asset Management Program is intended for everyone to understand the state of all 147 city owned bridges. I would like to thank the team from WSP who worked diligently to prepare this report for our city.”

According to a release from the city, local engineering firm WSP and its team conducted 147 bridge inspection reviews as part of the report. The specially assembled bridge inspection report review team consisted of 5 engineering firms that have been doing bridge inspection in Pennsylvania for many years and included 12 engineers, 10 of whom are Professional Engineers, an individual licensed by the State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, with an average of 24 years’ experience in bridge inspection and load rating, according to the city. Where needed, the team also inspected the bridges itself.

The city said it has been “proactive in its response to the findings, initiating and completing repairs on a rolling basis.”

“When we announced this program I made a promise to the people of Pittsburgh,” continued Mayor Ed Gainey. “I would not hesitate to close a bridge down if it was found to be unsafe. Safety of the people who live and work in our city is our number one priority and we will continue to do the work of keeping our roads and bridges safe for everyone.”

Click here to see the entire Comprehensive Bridge Asset Management Report.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE ON FERN HOLLOW BRIDGE:

• Community impressed by quick progress on Fern Hollow Bridge replacement
• Progress continues on new Fern Hollow Bridge
• First support beams for Fern Hollow Bridge replacement arrive in Squirrel Hill
• ‘I could just feel it’: PAT bus driver says he knew bridge was collapsing beneath him

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

©2022 Cox Media Group