CITY OF PITTSBURGH RELEASES COMPREHENSIVE REPORT ON THE STATE OF CITY OWNED BRIDGES
PITTSBURGH – Today the City of Pittsburgh released the report of the Comprehensive Bridge Asset Management Program. This report is intended to provide an accurate report on the City’s bridges. This program was launched this spring after the unexpected collapse of the Fern Hollow Bridge on January 28th, 2022.
“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. “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.”
As part of the report, local engineering firm WSP and its team conducted 147 bridge inspection reviews. 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. Where needed, the team also inspected bridges itself.
The City has been proactive in its response to the findings, initiating and completing repairs on a rolling basis. The next phase of the project with WSP involves the development of a comprehensive asset management plan. In anticipation of this plan, Mayor Gainey’s budget funded additional personnel in DOMI’s bridge unit as well as a bridge cleaning and maintenance program.
“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.”
The comprehensive Bridge Asset Management Report can be found online at http://apps.pittsburghpa.gov/redtail/images/20007_Report_to_Mayor_Ed_Gainey_with_Appendices.pdf
###
