The City of Pittsburgh has announced that – in anticipation of necessary repairs – the Charles Anderson Bridge will close today to vehicular traffic, effective immediately. The bridge will remain open to pedestrians and bicyclists, as will the Junction Hollow Trail below the bridge.

The news was issued today via press release shared by the City of Pittsburgh. Excerpt below:

The Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) is advising travelers to take an alternate route home during the evening commute. The bridge will remain open to pedestrians and bicycles, as will the Junction Hollow Trail, which runs below the bridge.

“I made a pledge to the residents of Pittsburgh that I will not hesitate to close a bridge for the safety of our citizens,” said Mayor Ed Gainey. “Inspection results have come back that tell us this bridge needs repair work to be safe for traffic. It’s because of the safety systems that we have put in place over the last year that we can act immediately, and proactively, to close this bridge—preventing another Fern Hollow.”

Needed repairs to the bridge will be undertaken as soon as possible to re-open the bridge to vehicles. DOMI estimates these repairs will take no fewer than four months and are projected to cost between $1M and $2M.

While the bridge remains closed, the detours are as follows:

• For eastbound/outbound vehicles: Boulevard of the Allies, right onto Bates Street, left onto Second Avenue, left onto Greenfield Avenue, left onto Ronald Street, right onto Alger Street, left onto Greenfield Bridge, to Greenfield Road, to Panther Hollow Road
• For westbound/inbound vehicles: Panther Hollow Road, to Greenfield Road, to Greenfield Bridge, right onto Alger Street, left onto Winterburn Street, right onto Greenfield Avenue, right onto Second Avenue, right onto Bates Street

Last year WSP Global was tasked with spearheading the Comprehensive Bridge Asset Management Program, in conjunction with DOMI. While previous inspections did not indicate a need for closure, based on the results of an updated structural analysis, the bridge needs to be closed until repairs can be made.

“I want to thank our staff at DOMI and the work of our Bridge Asset Management Team for their diligence in our routine bridge inspections and for improving the processes and systems that ensure we have bridges that are safer and more secure for everyone,” continued Mayor Gainey.

The bridge, which is a critical link on the Boulevard of the Allies and connects Squirrel Hill and Greenfield to Oakland and Downtown, is already slated for a full $48M rehabilitation, with design presently underway. In light of the current, preemptive closure, DOMI staff are looking into avenues for expediting the existing timeline of the project.

Individuals looking for additional information on the rehabilitation project can visit: https://engage.pittsburghpa.gov/charles-anderson-bridge

The latest "Project Update" from the EngagePGH site (released January 2022) provides additional context for the work already being planned for this bridge rehabilitation project.

Source: City of Pittsburgh