Another Pittsburgh bridge deemed unsafe for traffic
Photo Used with Permission. Credit: Zoe Fuller / 90.5 WESA
The warm glow that we may have felt following the replacement of the collapsed Fern Hollow Bridge in under a year dissipated this week upon the news of the closing of the Charles Anderson Memorial Bridge in Oakland, effective immediately.
The bridge is on the western edge of Schenley Park and connects Squirrel Hill and Greenfield to Oakland and downtown Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh officials said a recent structural analysis of the bridge showed it is unsafe for traffic. Repairs will take at least four months and cost $1 to $2 million.
The good news is that the problems were discovered before a structural failure occurred. Mayor Ed Gainey attributed the timely discovery to safety systems that have been put in place in the last year.
The discovery also serves as a reminder that Pennsylvania’s transportation infrastructure is in poor condition. While there is optimism that funding solutions are around the corner, there is considerable work ahead to bring the condition of our bridges and highways up to an acceptable standard.
For a news article on the bridge’s closing, follow this link.
