Pittsburgh Bridge Collapses Hours Before Biden Infrastructure Visit

Charlie paul
Charlie paul
4 Min Read

The Fern Hollow Bridge, a two-lane bridge, was built in Frick Park and collapsed just before 7 a.m. over Fern Hollow Creek. The bridge, which crossed an artificial creek, was built in the early 20th century and is the oldest bridge in Pittsburgh. The bridge was not named after a tree, but rather the hollow that was carved out when the bridge was built.

In November 2015, the city learned that the Frick Park Bridge would be closed for good in December 2015 due to structural issues. When the bridge collapsed on Friday, the city was still trying to find the owner. The span was installed in 1914 and had been allowed to deteriorate.

Pittsburgh Bridge Collapses

A 60-foot bus was among the vehicles on the bridge during the collapse. The collapse of the bridge is being investigated as a possible accident. The bridge was built in the 1890s and is partially supported by steel piers. It was tested in the 1950s and again in the 1990s and 2000s. The bridge was inspected in 2009 and 2010, and bridge engineers deemed it safe for the public. However, no record has been found of the bridge ever being inspected by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Pittsburgh Bridge Collapses

On Jan. 28, four people were injured when a bridge in Pittsburgh collapsed 2.2 hours later. The Ohio River spans the east side of the state, connecting the city to Cincinnati. The bridge was constructed in 1967 and was named the “Monument Bridge.” It was one of the oldest bridges in the city.This bridge collapse is the first of its kind in the state of Pennsylvania.

Pittsburgh Bridge Collapses

 

The bridge in Pittsburgh collapsed today, killing at least six people and injuring dozens of others. The bridge had been closed since last month after a crack was found in one of the main support beams. The Fern Hollow Bridge, which is located 10 miles east of downtown Pittsburgh, passed through Frick Park, where it crossed a popular walking trail. The bridge connects the city’s eastern suburbs with Pittsburgh’s business district and medical facilities.

“The first sound was much more intense, and kind of a rumbling, which I guess was the structure, the deck hitting the ground,” said Ken Doyno, a resident who lives four houses away. “I mean, the whole house rattled at that point.”

“It really is, it’s astounding,” Biden said.

“I could just feel it,” Luciani told the station. “The bus was bouncing and shaking and it seems long, but it was probably less than a minute that the bus finally came to a stop, and I was just thankful that nobody on the bus was hurt.”

“Judging by the time of day, had this bus been traveling inbound, toward downtown, there likely would have been more people on the bus and obviously could have been a much, much more dire situation,” Brandolph said.

“Apart from just this abiding noise, we could begin to smell gas and that was the truly frightening thing, then with that smell we both said, let’s get dressed and get out of here,” said Lyn Krynski, whose home is nearest the bridge.

“It sounded like a weather phenomenon more than anything,” said Douglas Gwilym, who was shoveling about an inch of snow when he heard the noise. “It was all I had to compare it to — it was this odd, whooshing sound.”

“I hope it’s a wake-up call to the nation that we need to make these infrastructure investments,” Fetterman said.

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Charlie Paul is a creative person who loves to write about technology, games, business, and entertainment. Charlie spends most of the day working on one creative project or another. He's written for multiple websites, a few books, and has even won first place in two writing contests. His love for creativity never dies and he's always looking for the next thing to write about.