PITTSBURGH — The calls to fix the Swindell Bridge have officially been answered, and work is well underway.
City of Pittsburgh officials say this work will continue for some time.
However, some residents say that simply repairing the bridge is not sufficient; they want a full-scale replacement.
“Fix the bridge the same way they do downtown. … Tear it completely down and rebuild it,” said Pittsburgh resident Quandra Johnson.
Johnson’s level of frustration has reached a boiling point.
She and her loved ones have experienced persistent problems with the Swindell Bridge firsthand — whether traveling by car or on foot.
Johnson said that she “can’t even walk across the bridge,” as crossing the bridge ruins the bottoms of her shoes.
Today, some relief was in sight.
Channel 11 followed crews as they took over the extremely busy bridge.
We watched from a distance as workers milled and resurfaced the road to make it a safer and smoother commute for all drivers.
This leg of the project is expected to be finished by July 1.
It’s something Pittsburgh City Councilperson Bobby Wilson takes very serious.
“I think everyone’s gonna know there’s work being done, and we’re not gonna walk away from this project,” Wilson said.
Channel 11 told viewers back in late April about the gaping potholes, crumbling concrete, exposed rebar and scattered saw horses that were restricting traffic so only one car could pass at a time.
Shortly after, Mayor Ed Gainey announced the Department of Mobility & Infrastructure would inspect Swindell every six months and work to secure the necessary funding to improve the bridge.
Wilson says those improvements will continue, and a full rehab is on the way.
“A project like this takes multiple entities to come together — to work together — to cut the red tape so you can get a project done like this,” said Wilson.
Larger, full-scale repairs will happen later this year.
We will track the progress and update you on-air, online and on the WPXI News app.
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