Pittsburgh's New Fern Hollow Bridge Construction Speed Lauded

PITTSBURGH, PA — A ceremonial ribbon-cutting by elected officials was held Wednesday for the impending reopening of the Fern Hollow Bridge, whose spectacular collapse in January drew national attention and a visit from President Joe Biden.

The city-owned span, linking the Squirrel Hill and Regent Square neighborhoods via Forbes Avenue, collapsed on to Frick Park on Jan. 28. Five vehicles and an articulating Pittsburgh Regional Transit were sent plummeting on to a park walking path.

No one was killed in the incident. Ten were injured. President Joe Biden, who was in town that day to tout the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that had been recently passed, toured the site and made a return visit in October.

Substructure, superstructure, and concrete deck placement work has been completed. Bridge deck overlay and wing-wall work will occur through the spring of 2023. Bridge barrier installation, pedestrian railing, and line painting are anticipated to be finished by late December to
allow the bridge to open to a single lane of traffic in each direction while work continues into early 2023.

The $25 million replacement span could open to traffic as early as Friday, but definitely by the end of the month, officials said.

“I was here on January 28 to survey the damage from the collapse, and today, less than a year later, I stand before a bridge that is nearly ready to reopen to traffic,” said Gov. Wolf, who attended Wednesday's ceremony. “This is the power of government working for the people in Pennsylvania partnership and coordination to rebuild the Fern Hollow Bridge in less than a year."

Other officials attending the dedication included Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, PennDOT

Secretary Yassmin Gramian, US Department of Transportation Director of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Implementation Katie Thomson, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, Gainey, State Sen. Jay Costa, State Rep. Dan Frankel and PennDOT District 11 Executive Cheryl
Moon-Sirianni.

“This is a historic day for Pittsburgh,” Gainey said. “The rebuilding of Fern Hollow bridge in less than one year shows what we can accomplish when we work together."