PITTSBURGH — It’s something you have to see to believe: Wooden posts, seemingly holding up and supporting the South Negley Avenue Bridge. A bridge that’s considered to be in poor rating, just like the Fern Hollow Bridge was before it collapsed last month.
The Shadyside bridge is concerning to those who live nearby and even more of a concern to those who travel on or below the structure regularly.
“Definitely a little sketchy,” said Kelli Bollinger. “Makes me a little nervous to go across that bridge now.”
The wooden planks have also caught the attention of Pittsburgh Councilman Corey O’Connor, who recently dealt with the collapse of the Fern Hollow Bridge in his district.
“There are a couple bills in council that talk about transparency, that put a commission of experts together and right now we are looking at infrastructure in a different way, we should have been looking at it differently for years,” said O’Connor.
According to PennDOT’s records, the bridge is listed as being in poor condition.
Channel 11 made numerous attempts to get in touch with Councilwoman Erika Strassburger, who represents the district where the bridge is located. We have yet to hear back but Strassburger told our partners at the Trib she’s aware of the concerns. However, she declined to comment on the wooden posts.
“Two wooden slabs is concerning and makes you wonder, how much longer before that one goes just like the Fern Hollow Bridge did,” said Corbin Padgett.
In the meantime, Port Authority is in the process of starting construction work on the Negley Station.
The Negley Station project was supposed to coincide with repairs to the bridge over the Busway but as our partners at the Trib have reported, the city is still seeking the funds to make that happen.
O’Connor tells Channel 11 that money would have to come from the city’s capital budget.
“I know that DOMI and the councilwoman have been looking at it to fix it and that’s what we want to see,” he said.
Strassburger told the Trib a timeline for repairs is a “moving target.”
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