Swindell Bridge on Pittsburgh's North Side closed after falling debris

Falling debris prompted Pittsburgh officials on Friday to shut down the Swindell Bridge on the city’s North Side.

The bridge, which connects Northview Heights to Perry South over I-279, was undergoing maintenance work for the past week, including milling and some resurfacing.

City officials said they were notified of debris that fell from the bridge to the highway below early Friday. An inspection of the bridge is set for Saturday.

Mayor Ed Gainey said the bridge will remain closed if it is deemed unsafe.

“If the inspection comes back and tells us that this bridge is no longer safe for traffic, we will act immediately,” he said in a statement.

It was not immediately clear the extent of the damage to the bridge or the roadway below, nor could officials say how long the bridge might be closed.

The bridge was set to undergo more extensive repairs later this year, city officials said, noting that that project remained “in the planning phase.”

After the Fern Hollow Bridge collapse in Frick Park in late January, Gainey pledged an inspection of all of the city’s bridges.

During that announcement, the mayor addressed concerns he had heard from residents about the Swindell Bridge. He said at the time that a team had recently visited the span and another inspection had been scheduled for that month.

Gainey said Friday his administration has chosen a firm that will be responsible for those inspections, collectively called the Bridge Asset Management Program. He said officials are in the process of negotiating that contract.

I was on this bridge in May. I could see the hole from the bridge all the way to the Parkway/ground below. Here are some pics from that story @WPXI pic.twitter.com/OH2vl3rXvE

— Amy Hudak (@amy_hudak) July 1, 2022