PennDOT to use federal grant funding to replace collapsed Fern Hollow Bridge

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) will use $25.3 million in federal grant funding to replace the recently collapsed Fern Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh.

Funding for the bridge will come from the Federal Highway Administration‘s National Highway Performance Program, which received millions of dollars through the recently enacted Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

The 497-ft bridge—located in the Point Breeze neighborhood of Pittsburgh—collapsed on the morning of Friday, Jan. 28, leaving 10 people injured. The bridge ran along Forbes Avenue and crossed over Frick Park.

According to the Post-Gazette, PennDOT is having difficulty obtaining steel beams and other supplies to rebuild the structure due to supply chain issues.

According to TribLIVE, the Fern Hollow Bridge rebuild qualifies for federal funding dedicated to national highway system bridges. The bridge reportedly was one of six steel K-framed bridges in Pennsylvania, meaning the structure’s weight is placed on supports without a backup support.

The City of Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure says it is working with PennDOT to secure a contractor to remediate and eventually reconstruct the collapsed Fern Hollow Bridge. The city says a contractor has begun staging equipment along Forbes Avenue and will continue that work in the coming weeks.

The city says it is also cooperating with an ongoing National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation.