Biden visits site of Pittsburgh bridge collapse

President Joe Biden surveyed damage at the site of a bridge collapse in Pittsburgh’s Frick Park early Friday afternoon in the first of two stops planned in the city.

Biden was planning to go next to Carnegie Mellon University’s Mill 19 research and development center in Hazelwood. The trip was meant to tout the recently passed $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. It took on added significance in the wake of the bridge collapse.

At the bridge site, Biden was joined by a host of state and local officials, including Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, Gov. Tom Wolf and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey.

Biden told officials and first responders at the scene that he has been coming to Pittsburgh a long time.

Saying he never realized just how many bridges Pittsburgh has, Biden said, “We’re going to fix them all.”

The bridge carrying Forbes Avenue over Fern Hollow Creek in Frick Park collapsed with multiple private vehicles and a Port Authority bus on it. Pittsburgh officials said 10 people were injured, but no one suffered serious injuries.

“(Biden) has been told of the bridge collapse in Pittsburgh. Our team is in touch with state and local officials on the ground as they continue to gather information about the cause of the collapse,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki tweeted in the morning. “The president will … stay in touch with officials on the ground about additional assistance we can provide.”

.@POTUS has been told of the bridge collapse in Pittsburgh. Our team is in touch with state and local officials on the ground as they continue to gather information about the cause of the collapse.

— Jen Psaki (@PressSec) January 28, 2022

In a statement before Biden’s arrival, Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, of Braddock, called the collapse a tragedy.

“This bridge — one I’ve driven across thousands of times — is a vital infrastructure artery connecting the East End to Downtown Pittsburgh. It’s surreal this morning to see it completely collapsed. Thank God that school buses were delayed due to weather, so there was less traffic than normal,” Fetterman said.

Fetterman said the collapse highlights the pressing need for more investment in infrastructure improvements.

“This collapse is just the latest in a long line of preventable, man-made disasters that prove what so many of us in Pennsylvania and around the country have been saying for years: Our infrastructure is failing our people. Our roads and bridges, which are supposed to connect us and bring us together, are increasingly putting us in danger,” Fetterman said.