Panther Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh closed for safety reasons

The city of Pittsburgh announced Saturday that the Panther Hollow Bridge in Oakland has been closed to traffic “amid an abundance of caution.”

The closure follows recommendations from PennDOT and an inspection consultant, implemented as a public safety measure until further analysis can be conducted, according to a news release. The Department of Mobility and Infrastructure began placing barricades and “bridge closed” signs on Saturday.

While the release did not specify the reason for the closure, the bridge, which spans Panther Hollow in Schenley Park, has been in use since it opened in 1896.

“I made a pledge to the residents of Pittsburgh that I will not hesitate to close a bridge for the safety of our citizens,” Mayor Ed Gainey said in the release. “Thanks to the Bridge Asset Management safety systems that we have put in place, we’ve been made aware of this situation early, allowing us to act in a proactive manner to close this bridge.”

A detour uses Schenley Drive and Wightman, Beacon and Hobart streets.

“Based on the recommendation of PennDOT and the inspection consultant we will be closing the bridge as a public safety measure until further analysis can be completed,” said Pittsburgh Chief Engineer Eric Setzler. “We hope to have detour signage in place within the next several days.”

The bridge carries Panther Hollow Road between the area of Phipps Conservatory and Anderson Playground. It is near the Anderson Bridge, which was closed in February 2023 after the city declared it unsafe. A renovation project for Anderson Bridge started recently, with a projected reopening of fall 2026.