Pennsylvania: Fern Hollow Bridge Replacement

A New Bridge in Under One Year

Challenge: On Jan. 28, 2022, shortly before 7a.m. with snow falling, a bridge and major commuting route on the east side of Pittsburgh collapsed—sending five cars and one transit bus tumbling 100 feet into the ravine below. Four were injured. Miraculously, no one was killed. In a strange twist of fate, President Biden was scheduled to visit the “City of Bridges” later that day to tout the new federal infrastructure law.

The Solution: With the newly passed law in place, state transportation officials were able to quickly and confidently commit the funds needed to begin rebuilding. In less than a year, a new 460-foot, four-lane bridge reopened to traffic. The structure carries more vehicles, with no weight restrictions. Thanks to the aid of federal transportation investment, the public and private sectors demonstrated once again that ingenuity and innovation are the keys to quickly addressing infrastructure challenges, especially those unforeseen.

What They’re Saying: “We wouldn’t have had the ability to spend $25 million on this bridge because it would have been utilized somewhere else.” – Cheryl Moon-Sirianni, PennDOT official. (90.5 WESA Radio, 07/25/2023)

And…

“The industry takes it as a challenge to complete jobs like this. What would have taken months upon months was done in one or two months” -Andrew Swank, president of Swank Construction Co. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 10/3/2023)