Pittsburgh moves ahead with plan to tear down poorly rated bridge

Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a measure that will allow the city to plan for the demolition of a poorly rated bridge that is at the center of an ongoing lawsuit.

The bridge crosses over Saw Mill Run Boulevard near Woodruff Street, linking the city’s Bon Air and Mt. Washington neighborhoods.

Though it’s not used as a public right-of-way, the span is used by Rohrich GM Parts Center, which is adjacent to the bridge. A lawsuit contends the city is responsible for maintaining the span so that the nearby business can continue using it.

City officials have said the bridge should be torn down because of its poor condition and the fact that the general public doesn’t use it. Director of the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure Kim Lucas said the city has secured state funding to help with the demolition.

The measure approved Tuesday will allow city officials to move forward with the design process for the demolition. That is slated to include determining whether the hill on either side of the span needs to be stabilized after the structure is removed, as well as planning out the logistics of the demolition itself.

Officials have not provided an estimate of how much the demolition will cost.

The bridge was one of 13 spans that independent experts commissioned by the city classified as “priority zero” in a comprehensive bridge report published in December. Bridges with that ranking had structural issues so serious that the experts indicated they should be addressed within a week.

The report said spalling — or breaking — of a portion of the bridge was a concern “because this entire section could let loose and fall directly onto/into live traffic.”

The issue was identified Oct. 31, but city officials did not address it till February.

Officials said they have since removed loose concrete and repaired deteriorated steel beams. Officials said they are monitoring the bridge’s condition until the span is torn down.

According to Lucas, demolition is expected in two to three years.

Currently, the bridge is at the center of a lawsuit in which Wabash Properties LLC — which owns the land used by Rohrich — claims the city would be violating agreements it previously made regarding the bridge by tearing it down. Wabash Properties in its complaint said the city is responsible for maintaining the span, which is essential for the company to use their property.

Rohrich has not responded to requests for comment.

City officials last week said they could consider helping with improvements to an alternate route to and from the property.

Council President Theresa Kail-Smith, D-West End, said she would work to ensure that the demolition didn’t cause traffic disruptions for nearby communities.

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