Pittsburgh's Swindell Bridge reopens ahead of schedule

Pittsburgh officials announced Thursday morning that the Swindell Bridge has reopened following a brief closure.

The city’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure closed the bridge Monday to perform the first phase of repairs on the span. Officials had expected it to be closed through Friday, but reopened it ahead of schedule.

The city’s contractor finished the first stage of work to restore deteriorated steel beams at the west end of the bridge, where a lane restriction and two-way stop signs are currently in place. The new beams are now being manufactured off-site.

The bridge, which connects Perry South and Northview Heights over Interstate 279, will remain open for several months until the necessary materials to continue work are fabricated, officials said.

A second closure will allow for installation of the new beams. That closure is tentatively scheduled for late June and is expected to last 28 days.

The work is expected to cost $540,000.

A full rehabilitation project — which will include steel and concrete repairs, a new deck and full painting — will come later. Officials said preliminary engineering work on the larger project is set to begin this year. The full scope of work, timeline and budget will be determined through that process.

City Council in February approved a $1.2 million contract with Pittsburgh-based HDR Engineering to handle the preliminary engineering design work for the larger restoration project, which officials estimated will begin in 2027.

The 1,097-foot-long Swindell Bridge opened in 1930 and is used by about 5,700 vehicles a day, according to PennDOT records. It was rated in poor condition in a comprehensive bridge report commissioned by Mayor Ed Gainey.