In response to the Fern Hollow Bridge collapse that took place on Friday in Point Breeze, city of Pittsburgh officials are taking action to prevent any type of incident from happening again.
Mayor Ed Gainey and Councilman Corey O’Connor announced legislation to establish a Commission on Infrastructure Asset Reporting and Investment on Tuesday.
The commission’s goals will be to practice both short-term and long-term investment in Pittsburgh’s infrastructure assets, such as bridges and major roadways. It will also have a say in the budget when it comes to future infrastructure projects and investments.
“The collapse of the Fern Hollow Bridge has prompted my Administration to take swift action to ensure adequate investment of our City’s infrastructure,” said Mayor Gainey.
“This legislation will allow us to implement best practices for long-term maintenance of our critical assets and provide greater transparency to the public. I thank Councilman O’Connor for partnering with my administration on this issue and I look forward to working with City Council to advance this important legislation.”
There will be 15 members in the commission, comprised of city officials, organized labor representatives, construction industry members and city residents with experience in infrastructure and/or construction.
The legislation, introduced by councilman O’Connor, will also amend current city code and create regular reports on city-maintained bridges, tunnels and other infrastructure.
“Public infrastructure is vital to the health and well-being of our communities, and I’m proud to introduce these reforms in partnership with the Mayor’s Office,” said City Councilman Corey O’Connor.
PennDOT announced it will be paying for reconstruction of the Fern Hollow Bridge. Up to $25.3 million in federal funds are available for the project.
The funds are a direct result of the new/additional funds that were made available in Federal Fiscal Year 2022 from the Bi-Partisan Infrastructure Law.
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