Mayor Ed Gainey Announces Major Infrastructure Investments
Gainey announces investments and initiatives to address city’s pressing infrastructure needs in advance of National Infrastructure Week
PITTSBURGH – Mayor Ed Gainey today announced investments and initiatives to address the city’s pressing infrastructure needs. As part of the city’s commitment, Mayor Gainey announced the creation of a comprehensive Bridge Asset Management Program, an update on the Swindell Bridge, and his plan to address equitable regional infrastructure investment. The announcements were made in advance of National Infrastructure Week, May 16th – May 20th, 2022.
“Our city’s infrastructure connects working families to jobs, education, opportunities and a future,” said Mayor Gainey. “Making much-needed investments into our city’s infrastructure ensures that we are strengthening our communities, creating good-paying jobs, and making our economy more sustainable, resilient, and just. I look forward to working with our regional partners to ensure that we continue to secure our future economic growth, global competitiveness, and prosperity.”
To establish the creation of the comprehensive Bridge Asset Management Program, the city released an RFP that includes the hiring of a bridge asset manager. The bridge asset manager will lead an office dedicated to ensuring the safety and integrity of all bridges. Additional responsibilities of the manager will include developing a list of immediate/near-term bridge repairs, creating an asset management plan for each individual bridge and submitting recommendations for successful implementation of the asset management plan including the creation of a new Bridge Maintenance Division. The bridge asset manager will report to the city’s chief operating and administrative officer and will provide a report to the Mayor on the current conditions and safety of all city-owned bridges by October 2022.
Mayor Gainey also provided an update on the Swindell Bridge. In partnership with PENNDOT, DOMI will inspect the Swindell Bridge every six months, and a new inspection will take place this month. For now, inspections and analysis indicate that the current restrictions on the bridge are working to keep the weight of vehicles where it should be. Upon notice from an inspector that the bridge is unsafe, the city will close the bridge immediately. Short-term repairs continue to be made to manage water issues that have caused damage.
In an effort to establish and maintain cooperation and partnership across the region, Mayor Gainey will also convene a roundtable of mayors to meet with the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission. The purpose of the roundtable will be to connect regional leaders with the technical support and expertise needed to gain funding for critical infrastructure projects.
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