Fern Hollow Bridge reopens after latest closure
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- UPDATE 1:41 P.M. 7/7/23 - According to Pittsburgh Parks and Recreation, the Fern Hollow Bridge reopened Thursday afternoon.
In addition to the bridge, the trail below is also officially open. This comes after a closure in June due to more construction work that was needed.
GREAT NEWS! Frick Park’s Fern Hollow Bridge opened at 12 PM and the trail below is officially open! Enjoy!
Posted by CitiParks - Pittsburgh Parks & Recreation on Friday, July 7, 2023
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Work on the new Fern Hollow Bridge is ongoing and despite having partially re-opened back in December the city closed the bridge again for another big phase in its reconstruction.
On Monday morning, the Fern Hollow Bridge once again closed for continuing construction work. This closing is set to last until July 7, at which point the bridge will not only re-open, but it will officially re-open all four lanes to traffic.
The bridge collapsed in January of 2022. The National Transportation Security Board has since reported that the collapse stemmed from drainage problems on the bridge, that allowed the metal legs to deteriorate over time.
With a herculean construction effort, the bridge was re-built and partially reopen to traffic just before Christmas of 2022, but now, with further work still needed, the city is closing the bridge once more.
During the month the bridge will be closed, crews will be doing everything from milling and paving, to making artistic enhancements and putting down pavement markets on the road.
They will also be working to ensure the longevity of the bridge by putting a new overlay on the concreate deck.
Now, most residents KDKA-TV spoke to are sad that the bridge is closed again, but they're happy the work is being done.
SOT (9:25 – 9:36) LOWER THIRD – Heather Masterson, Neighborhood Resident.
"Well, we're a little disappointed. We'll have to make some detours, but in the long run we are pretty happy because we want it to get finished. We know there's some work that needs to be completed and it will be safer for everyone," said Heather Masterson, a Point Breeze resident.
While the bridge is closed, drivers will need to use South Dallas Avenue, Penn Avenue and South Braddock Avenue as detours. Expect a few backups on these roads especially during the daytime and leave some extra time for travel.
The mayor's office says that once this work is completed, the only thing left to do will be installing a pedestrian crossing to the western side of the bridge. That construction should be completed sometime in the fall.