Pittsburgh officials advance plan to tear down poorly rated bridge despite lawsuit

Pittsburgh City Council advanced legislation Wednesday that, if adopted, would clear the way for the city to tear down a poorly rated bridge despite an ongoing lawsuit.

The bridge crosses over Saw Mill Run Boulevard near Woodruff Street, linking the city’s Bon Air and Mt. Washington neighborhoods. The bridge is not used as a public right-of-way, but is used by Rohrich GM Parts Center, which is adjacent to the span.

Wabash Properties LLC, which owns the land used by Rohrich, claimed in a lawsuit that the city would be violating agreements it previously made regarding the bridge by tearing it down. In the complaint, Wabash Properties said the city was responsible for maintaining the span, which is essential for the company to use their property.

Rohrich has not responded to requests for comment.

It “makes more sense” to demolish the bridge than to try to repair it given that the city doesn’t use it and it’s in poor condition, said Kim Lucas, director of the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure.

She said the city has secured state funding for the demolition.

The legislation advanced by council Wednesday would kick off the design process for the demolition. All council members supported it in a preliminary vote except Council President Theresa Kail-Smith, D-West End, who abstained.

Eric Setzler, DOMI’s chief engineer, said the design process will include determining whether the hill on either side of the bridge needs to be stabilized after the structure is removed and planning out the demolition itself.

He did not provide an estimate on how much the demolition might cost.

The bridge is “certainly in bad shape” and is a “significant liability” to the city in its present state, Director of the Office of Management and Budget Jake Pawlak said.

“It’s imperiling traffic on Route 51 below,” he said.

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 problems so serious that WSP USA’s 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 until February.

City officials said they have since removed loose concrete and repaired deteriorated steel beams. The city is monitoring the bridge’s condition until it can tear it down.

Lucas said the city’s law department advised DOMI to continue moving ahead with demolition plans despite the ongoing lawsuit. She estimated the bridge likely would not be torn down for two to three years.

Wabash Properties contends in its lawsuit that the bridge is “the only means of ingress, egress and regress of large delivery vehicles to access the property and the only location for plaintiff’s employees to park their vehicles while working.”

City officials said there is another way to enter and exit the property. Councilman Anthony Coghill, D-Beechview, who represents the area, said their “egress from Route 51 is not quite satisfactory” to move large equipment, but suggested the city could help improve that route. Pawlak said the city may be able to offer some assistance.

Council is expected to take a final vote on the measure next week.

Related:

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