Bridge collapse in Pittsburgh disrupts travel, schools: ‘A lot of work is going to need to be done’

By Ed Blazina, Andrew Goldstein, Kris B. Mamula, Julian Routh, Mick Stinelli and Stephanie Strasburg, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS)

PITTSBURGH — Ten people were injured Friday morning when the bridge that carries Forbes Avenue over Frick Park collapsed in Pittsburgh’s Point Breeze neighborhood.

Three of the injured were transported to the hospital, Pittsburgh fire Chief Darryl Jones said, but none of them had injuries that were considered life-threatening.

UPMC said it had received three adult patients in fair condition at UMPC Presbyterian hospital in Oakland by 9:30 a.m.

Pittsburgh Public Safety tweeted just before 7 a.m. Friday that the bridge had collapsed.

Photos from the scene showed four vehicles that had fallen in the chasm left by the collapsed bridge, with a fifth — a Port Authority bus — dangling precariously over the edge.

Port Authority confirmed that one of its 60-foot articulated buses had become trapped on a slab of the remnants of the bridge. Agency spokesman Adam Brandolph said the bus driver and the two passengers onboard were able to escape without injury.

News of the collapse came as the city prepares for a visit from President Joe Biden, who is scheduled to speak about infrastructure Friday afternoon at Mill 19 in Hazelwood. Multiple officials said the collapse illustrated the need for infrastructure investment.

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey and Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman were on the scene of the collapse Friday morning, as were numerous police, EMS and park vehicles.

“We were fortunate,” Gainey said, that no one was killed.

“We’re just going to continue to hope for the best and make sure that we get this together,” he added.

Fitzgerald noted that the bridge is “a major artery” that connects the East End, Squirrel Hill and Oakland with both Downtown Pittsburgh and the eastern suburbs.

“A lot of work is going to need to be done,” Fitzgerald said.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf wrote on Twitter that his office is “monitoring the situation” and “prepared to provide support as needed.”

Chief Jones said several nearby families were evacuated from their homes due to a related gas leak but have since been allowed to return to their homes.

The cause of the collapse is under investigation. The bridge was most recently inspected in September, city officials said, but it was not immediately clear if there were any issues discovered during that inspection.

The bridge is about a quarter-mile from the Reynolds Street entrance to Frick Park. It goes over a wooded ravine and a creek that are part of the park.

The bridge crosses over a popular walking trail in Frick Park and an off-leash dog exercise area. People were in the park around the time of the collapse, but there were no immediate reports of injuries on the trail.

Dog walkers and other neighbors gathered near the scene Friday to gasp together and to shoot photos and cellphone videos.

John Jacobs, of Squirrel Hill, said he walks his two dogs in the park every morning.

“It’s funny Biden’s in town on the infrastructure bill,” Jacobs said. “What a coincidence.”

Biden was expected to speak extensively on infrastructure during his remarks, particularly with a stress on the importance of the recently passed $1 trillion bill that is intended to fund repair and maintenance of the nation’s roads, bridges, railways and other physical infrastructure.

Gainey said the bridge collapse highlights the need for infrastructure improvements.

“We need it,” the mayor said. “We know we have bridges that need to be taken care of.”

Inspections dating back to 2011 show the bridge has been rated in poor condition, according to the National Bridge Inventory.

The American Society of Civil Engineers said in a 2021 report that 46,154 bridges were considered in poor condition, or about 7.5% of the country’s 617,000 bridges.

U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle, a Democrat whose district includes the city of Pittsburgh, said he anticipates the bridge collapse to “disrupt transportation” for months.

Doyle added that he’s been in touch with the White House, Gainey and Fitzgerald “to ask for help and facilitate coordination on rebuilding it.”

St. Bede Catholic School near Frick Park, which had been on a two-hour snow delay, canceled classes Friday because of the bridge collapse.

Pittsburgh Public Schools also adjusted schedules, and some moved to remote learning because of the collapse.

Melissa Bakth, 43, who lives near Frick Park, was in bed around 6:55 a.m. when she heard the four-lane bridge collapse, followed by the rushing sound of the natural gas line breaking.

“There was a boom, then a monster sound,” Bakth said. “It was so loud, and it didn’t stop. It could’ve been me. I’m on that bridge every day. It’s very, very busy.”