The governor of Pennsylvania cut the ribbon at the new Fern Hollow Bridge (below), which is expected to reopen to traffic before the end of this month.
The Fern Hollow Bridge, which is owned by the city of Pittsburgh and carries Forbes Avenue over Frick Park, Fern Hollow Creek and Tranquil Trail, collapsed on 28 January 2022 (link opens in new tab).
Governor Tom Wolf 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.”
Immediately following the collapse, a Declaration of Disaster Emergency Proclamations was issued. This allowed the City of Pittsburgh to enter into a legal agreement to allow Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) to manage the design and construction of the new bridge. The proclamations also enabled the Federal Highway Administration and PennDOT to approve the immediate award of contract with Swank Construction Company and HDR for the removal of the collapsed structure, and the design and construction of the new Fern Hollow Bridge.
Multiple design phases took place simultaneously including foundation, substructure, superstructure, utility relocation, environmental and aesthetic aspects of the project. This allowed project delivery to be expedited by multiple years, said a statement from Wolf’s office.
