Swindell Bridge Over Parkway North Appears To Be In Dire Shape, And Residents Are Concerned
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Take a bumpy ride over the Swindell Bridge, and there are dozens of potholes in the bridge deck and exposed rebar where, until some recent patching, folks say you could see the Parkway North below.
Some say they race across it, fearing it might collapse onto the highway underneath them.
"I'm afraid that this bridge might collapse because each time I see the damage it is worse and they're not doing anything about it," said Darnetia Barnett of Perry Hilltop.
Of the 175 bridges in "poor" condition in Allegheny County, 19 — including the Swindell Bridge — are owned by the city of Pittsburgh, and funding for repairs and replacement projects is in short supply. The city is now trying to reinspect and reevaluate all of its bridges, with the aim of fixing the worst ones first.
State Representative Emily Kinkead says the bridge is not in imminent danger of collapse but needs to be at the top of the list.
KDKA-TV Andy Sheehan: So many bridges. So little money.
Kinkead: It's hard to choose. It really is, but you see the cars that use it and we have an interstate below.
About $3 million is earmarked for design work for the bridge this year, but there is no committed funding for its reconstruction and that's not slated to begin until 2027 or 2028.
"Not fast enough," Kinkead said. "I hope we could get this done in the next couple of years because the residents of Northview Heights, they can't wait."
But the need is not limited to the city. Allegheny County owns 27 bridges in "poor" condition. This year, the county plans to remove one and replace six others, including the bridge over Little West Pine Creek in Shaler.
In addition to the Fern Hollow Bridge, PennDOT is reconstructing the Commercial Street Bridge on the Parkway East and the Anderson Street Bridge leading into Schenley Park. A busy construction season for sure, but Kincaid said it'll make only a small dent.
"Even with the funding that we've received from the federal government with this new infrastructure package, it only covers about 10 percent of the actual infrastructure funding that we need nationwide," she said.
The state is slated to get more than $1 billion for bridge repair from the infrastructure package, but with 2,800 bridges statewide in "poor condition" that money will only go so far. Kincaid and others are calling for an even deeper commitment.