Lawmakers react to Frick Park bridge collapse

One of the Pittsburgh area’s congressmen is pointing to Friday’s bridge collapse as proof of the need for the nation’s latest infrastructure spending plan.

Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Forest Hills, praised the “brave and rapid response” of first responders and wished those who were injured speedy recoveries.

“It was a miracle no one was killed by the bridge collapse,” he said in a statement.

The bridge carrying Forbes Avenue over Pittsburgh’s Frick Park collapsed about 6:30 a.m. Friday, injuring at least 10 people. No fatalities were reported.

Doyle said he has been in touch with the White House, Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey and Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald to ask for help rebuilding the span.

Doyle said the collapse was “a tragic example of why the Infrastructure and Investment and Jobs Act that Congress just enacted is so desperately needed.”

Under the $1.2 trillion act, PennDOT will get $1.6 billion over the next five years for bridges, Doyle spokesman Matt Dinkel said. Because the bridge was rated in poor condition by PennDOT and the National Bridge Inventory, it would have been considered for funding.

“We should be consistently investing more in our infrastructure so our bridges and other public works don’t reach this point of disrepair,” Doyle said.

Doyle and fellow Democrat Conor Lamb, D-Mt. Lebanon, voted in favor of the infrastructure bill in November. A representative for Lamb did not respond to request for comment Friday.

The region’s Republican representatives — Guy Reschenthaler, Glenn Thompson and Mike Kelly — opposed it.

In explaining his vote against the bill in November, Kelly accused Democrats of adding things to the bill that are not traditional infrastructure. He also said the legislation favors transportation modes Americans aren’t using and adds to the federal budget deficit.

In a statement issued Friday, Kelly said the collapse “highlights the need for real infrastructure attention, repair and replacement if needed.”

Kelly said those injured are the main concern “and highlights the need to prioritize spending bills that concentrate on our roadways, railways, runways, waterways, bridges and broadband coverage for our underserved rural areas.”

Spokespersons for Reschenthaler and Thompson did not respond to requests for comment Friday and Saturday.

In a news release in November, Reschenthaler referred to the infrastructure bill as “the first step in Democrats’ Socialist Spending Spree.”

“I strongly support investment in our nation’s physical infrastructure, including upgrading our aging locks and dams, and believe we must reform our burdensome permitting process,” Reschenthaler said in the statement. “Unfortunately, it is shameful that Democrats used a bipartisan issue to advance their radical, socialist goals.”

In his own statement at the time, Thompson said he refused to tie infrastructure to a “reckless liberal wish list.”

“There was an opportunity to come together and draft a bipartisan, bicameral bill to address America’s aging infrastructure,” his statement says. “Rather, House Democrats boldly linked infrastructure to a spending bill that is full of budget gimmicks and will cost American taxpayers trillions of dollars.”

The state’s senators, Democrat Bob Casey Jr. and Republican Pat Toomey, also voted along party lines, with Casey voting yes and Toomey voting no.

“The infrastructure bill is bringing much-needed investments to the commonwealth to make our roads safer, including the more than 3,300 bridges in poor condition,” Casey said in a statement. “I am committed to working with Gov. Wolf, PennDOT and local officials in Allegheny County and across the commonwealth to identify bridges most in need so we can stop this from happening anywhere else.”

A representative for Toomey did not respond Friday or Saturday.