Swindell Bridge on Pittsburgh's North Side to reopen to traffic

Pittsburgh officials announced that Swindell Bridge in Pittsburgh’s North Side was reopening to all traffic Thursday.

The bridge was closed on July 1 because of debris falling from the underside of the span. The bridge connects Northview Heights with Perry South over Interstate 279.

Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure had contractors working on the bridge to address maintenance repairs, including milling and paving to create better driving conditions, prior to the bridge’s closing.

An emergency inspection of the bridge was conducted on July 2. It found material from the resurfacing deck repairs was accumulating in an expansion joint drainage trough. The added weight from the debris caused the trough to tear and spill onto I-279 Northbound.

Crews did not find any additional deterioration or damage that would impact the bridge’s structural capacity.

City officials said repairs to the bridge were slowed by supply-chain issues. The initial work, including maintenance milling and paving operations, are now completed.

Larger repairs are still expected later this year, officials said. A full bridge rehabilitation project is in the planning phase.

The bridge will undergo routine inspections every six months.

This comes as city officials have placed greater emphasis on infrastructure improvements in the wake of the Fern Hollow Bridge collapse in Pittsburgh’s Frick Park in January. Mayor Ed Gainey has launched the Comprehensive Bridge Asset Management Program, which aims to ensure bridges are safe, maintained and funded.

When he announced the program in May, he acknowledged that residents had been voicing concerns about the safety of Swindell Bridge.