Allegheny County has plans to repair all of its poorly rated bridges

Allegheny County said Thursday that it plans to repair, replace or remove all 27 of its poorly rated bridges within the next few years.

In the wake of last week’s collapse of the poorly rated Fern Hollow Bridge, which was owned and maintained by the city of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County provided an overview of its poorly rated bridges and detailed its plans for them.

Seven of the county’s 27 poorly rated bridges are expected to be replaced or removed this year, according to a news release. Two more bridges are scheduled to be scoped to begin the construction design process within the next year. The county expects to seek bids for construction projects on the remaining 18 bridges before 2024.

“The (Fern Hollow) bridge collapse highlighted just how important it is to invest in our aging infrastructure,” said Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald said the recently passed $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill will help to fund the county’s planned work.

Allegheny County owns and maintains 305 bridges that are 8 feet or longer. Since 2012, the county has completed 95 bridge projects totaling about $284 million and, in the process, repaired or replaced 51% of its poorest-rated bridges over the past decade, the news release said.

About $38 million is budgeted for bridge repairs this year.

Eleven county-owned bridges are posted with weight limits and four of those have poor condition ratings. Three of those four bridges will be repaired or replaced this year, and another will be under construction next year.

Two county-owned bridges – the Naylor Road Bridge in Hampton and the Little Sewickley Creek Bridge in Sewickley Heights – are closed because of structural deficiencies. Naylor Road Bridge will be demolished this year, and the county will seek bids for a replacement for Little Sewickley Creek Bridge next year.

Here is a list of the county’s 27 poorly rated bridges, all of which the county said have been inspected within the past two years.

• Aber’s Creek #3, Abers Creek Road, Monroeville. Construction project expected to be bid in 2023.
• Aber’s Creek #4, Cavitt Road, Monroeville. Construction project expected to be bid in 2023.
• Bull Creek #7, Thompson Road, Fawn. Construction project expected to be bid in 2022.
• Bull Creek #8, Thompson Road, Fawn. Construction project expected to be bid in 2022.
• Campbells Run #5, Campbells Run Road, Robinson. Expected to be replaced in 2022.
• Campbells Run #6, Campbells Run Road, Robinson. Expected to be replaced in 2022.
• Crawford Run #2,Crawford Run Road, East Deer. Scheduled to be scoped for design within the next year.
• Crawford Run #3,Crawford Run Road, East Deer. Construction project expected to be bid in 2023.
• Days Run #3, Bailies Run Road, East Deer. Construction project expected to be bid in 2023.
• Fallen Timber #6, Roberts Hollow Road, Forward. Scheduled to be scoped for design within the next year.
• Gourdhead #1, Naylor Road, Hampton. Closed; expected to be removed in 2022.
• Jacks Run #3, Jacks Run Road, Ross. Construction project expected to be bid in 2024.
• Kenmawr Avenue Ramp, Rankin. Construction project expected to be bid in 2023.
• Kilbuck Run #16, Blackburn Road. Sewickley Heights. Expected to be replaced in 2022.
• Licks Run #1, Cochran Mill Road, Jefferson. Construction project expected to be bid in 2023.
• Little Sewickley Creek South Branch #1, Pink House Road, Sewickley Heights. Closed; construction project expected to be bid in 2023.
• Long Run #3, Coulterville Road, White Oak. Expected to be replaced in 2022.
• McClaren’s Run #7, Coraopolis Imperial Road, Findlay. Construction project expected to be bid in 2022.
• Painters Run #2, Old Painters Run Road, Upper St. Clair. Construction project expected to be bid in 2023.
• Pine Creek South Branch #6, Vilsack Road, Shaler. Expected to be replaced in 2022.
• Pine Creek South Branch #10, McIntyre Road, Ross. Construction project expected to be bid in 2023.
• Plum Creek #2, Universal Road, Penn Hills. Construction project expected to be bid in 2023.
• Pucketa Creek #5, Booker Street, Plum. Construction project expected to be bid in 2022.
• Robinson Run #3, Mill Street, North Fayette. Expected to be replaced in 2022.
• Squaw Run #1, Old Freeport Road, O’Hara. Construction project expected to be bid in 2023.
• Wible Run #1, Wible Run Road, Shaler. Construction project expected to be bid in 2023.