PITTSBURGH, Pa (PTTP) — Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024, marked the second anniversary of the
shocking collapse of the Fern Hollow Bridge, located near Frick Park. The disaster occurred in
the year 2022, when the bridge fell more than 100 feet into a ravine below. This drove multiple
vehicles down and injured ten people, some seriously.
Two years later, questions are still left unanswered on why the 447 foot bridge collapsed. Reports
have shown that the bridge was labeled ‘structurally deficient’, and in 2018, it was rated a D+ by
civil engineers.
Recent reports have also highlighted failures by the city of Pittsburgh to keep these bridges up
and running. Last year, a report from the National Transportation Safety Board discovered a lack
of maintenance resulting in clogged drains on the bridge. This could have contributed to the later
collapse.
11 months after the tragic incident, a new bridge was constructed. There have been new art
installations underneath the reconstructed bridge. Two Pittsburgh-based artists, John Peña and
Carin Mincemoyer, designed artwork on the span and under the bridge. The new artwork also
features designs on the cement barriers dividing pedestrian sidewalks from vehicle traffic