Pittsburgh City Council Gives Preliminary OK To Bill Making Bridge Inspection Records Public
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - City Council gave the preliminary OK Thursday to a bill designed to give you all the information you need to know about city bridges listed in poor condition. The bill would post all of the inspection records online.
Now that the Fern Hollow Bridge has collapsed, the city has 19 others listed in poor condition, including the Swindell Bridge over the Parkway North with its many potholes and exposed rebar and the South Negley Avenue Bridge with the wooden posts underneath that have given drivers pause.
"That's the whole point of what we're talking about and the transparency that the public has been asking for. What does poor condition mean? Should we shut these down? What are our policies and procedures?" Councilman Corey O'Connor said.
After some debate, City Council approved the creation of a commission to evaluate and prioritize the repair of city bridges and also make all inspection and condition reports available online for each one of them, letting the public know if they are really safe to cross.
"Not only do they want to know, they deserve to know," said O'Connor.
According to its last inspection report, South Negley is in poor condition and we're expecting a full report soon from the city Department of Mobility and Infrastructure on its condition. But Councilman O'Connor says the public has a right to know the condition of every bridge.
"They have every right to know what shape our bridges are in, what reports have been done, what the process is going to look like over the next five to ten years and they have every right to know that," O'Connor said.
The final vote on the creation of the commission is scheduled for Tuesday. It would bring together experts and engineers to reinspect and prioritize the bridges and let the public know what they find.