PITTSBURGH — The Panther Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh will reopen Friday, following a post-construction inspection.
City officials closed the more than 130-year-old structure in October 2024 after bridge inspectors identified safety concerns. Construction activities to restore the Schenley Park connection officially began in January 2026.
Work on the structure included repairs and strengthening to truss connections at 52 locations and repairs to steel stringers at seven locations. Crews also performed maintenance on the truss bearings, repointed masonry in the approach spans, improved bridge downspouts and expansion joints, repaired curbs and sidewalks and installed a protective coat over top of the roadway.
Corey O’Connor, mayor of Pittsburgh, highlighted the bridge’s history and role in connecting local traffic.
“The Panther Hollow Bridge has been part of Pittsburgh for more than 130 years and today we’re making sure this important Schenley Park connection can continue serving Pittsburghers for years to come,” O’Connor said. “Thousands of residents and visitors rely on this bridge daily, so we made it a priority to identify the issues, complete the necessary repairs and safely reopen it to drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. This project is a good reminder of why we must stay ahead of our infrastructure needs and continue investing in the safety and resilience of Pittsburgh’s bridges before small problems become bigger ones.”
Jeff Skalican, director of the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure, noted that the inspection process followed structural evaluations initiated after the Fern Hollow Bridge collapse.
“The reopening of the Panther Hollow Bridge is a success story in modern asset management,” Skalican said. “The critical repairs needed on this bridge may not have been identified as early had we not begun looking more critically at our City-owned structure assets in the wake of the Fern Hollow Bridge collapse. Since then, our Bridge Asset Management Program has become one of our greatest tools in our goal to provide Pittsburghers with safe and resilient transportation.”
The bridge is scheduled to open to traffic by 8:00 a.m., at which time detour routes will be removed.
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