ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. — Painters Run Bridge No. 3 is only 34 feet long, but it plays a key part in the South Hills.
According to Allegheny County Public Works officials, 22,000 cars travel the road each day.
“I’d say at least probably 50% of our business comes down this road as well as deliveries and things. So, it’s critical,” Jim Altvater said. He owns Bridgeville Automotive on Painters Run Road.
The bridge is critical to his business and in critical need of repair. It’s one of 178 bridges rated “poor” by PennDOT.
In an online meeting with residents, public works officials said the bridge just moved from “fair” to “poor.”
“We’re going to continue to monitor it before construction starts and if there were any concern at all, we would err on the side of caution and close it early,” Allegheny County Department of Public Works Public Information Officer Brent Wasko said.
In this case, early means before summer of 2025. That’s the proposed window for replacement to begin. The plan is to shut down the road for two months.
“As long as they get it done quickly, I guess I can’t complain about it,” Cameron Vasco said. He lives right next to the bridge.
Officials stressed the importance of getting the project done as soon as possible.
“Replace it on our schedule rather than having some sort of major event happen and then have to react,” Assistant Deputy Director for the Allegheny County Department of Public Works Mike Burdelsky said.
“It’s very important, especially after what happened in Pittsburgh with that bridge collapse. Our infrastructure is in such a sad state. We need to keep after things,” Altvater said.
The project is federally funded with oversight from PennDOT. Bids for the project are not expected for two more years.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW