The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report on the Fern Hollow Bridge collapse.
Preliminary information indicates the collapse initiated at the west end, or the Squirrel Hill side of the bridge, as the NTSB lays the groundwork for their investigation.
Chair Jennifer Homendy said there is a long, detailed process ahead.
“We’re going to look at the entire history of this bridge, from the design, construction, maintenance, repair, all work up until the day of the collapse,” said Homendy.
The report says two major support beams on the bridge were considered fracture critical, meaning if they failed, the bridge would likely collapse.
However, investigators did not find any primary fractures in the beams.
The final report is expected to be released in 12 to 18 months.