Gov. Tom Wolf on Friday signed a disaster declaration for Allegheny County following the collapse of a highway bridge in Pittsburgh.
The 50-year-old Fern Hollow bridge, a major commuter throughway, collapsed during rush hour early Friday, requiring rescuers to rappel down a ravine to reach several riders trapped on a municipal bus.
No deaths were reported. At least ten people were injured in the incident, including several who needed to be hospitalized, and rescue workers continued to search for any additional victims, according to local news reports.
The National Transportation Safety Board team is conducting an investigation.
The collapse came hours before President Joe Biden arrived in the city to promote his $1 trillion infrastructure law. Pennsylvania is slated to get $1.6 billion for bridge maintenance.
Wolf said the disaster declaration will speed work to reconstruct the bridge.
“With the Fern Hollow Bridge seeing more than 14,000 cars daily, it’s critical that we act quickly to reconstruct it so that commerce can continue, and life is not interrupted,” said Wolf, who visited the site Friday. “This declaration allows us to support the county in getting to work quickly, making funding available, and reducing red tape or other barriers to completion.”
The proclamation authorizes state agencies to use all available resources to manage the emergency and waives bidding and contracting procedures.
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Bridge collapse in Pittsburgh disrupts travel, schools, ‘a lot of work is going to need to be done.’
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