Bricks fall from Uniontown building, triggering street closure, detour

Jeff Himler | Thursday, April 11, 2024 5:56 p.m.

Courtesy of Uniontown Police Chief DJ DeWitt

A section of Uniontown’s Morgantown Street was closed to traffic after bricks fell onto the sidewalk from a vacant building at Nos. 12 and 14 on Thursday, April 11, 2024. City officials were assessing the safety of the building.

A section of Morgantown Street in Uniontown was closed to traffic on Thursday, April 11 after bricks fell from a vacant building.

No injuries were reported when the bricks fell shortly before 1:45 p.m. at Nos. 12 and 14 Morgantown St., according to a Fayette County 911 supervisor.

The bricks fell from the front of the building onto the sidewalk, according to Lt. Thomas Kolencik of the Uniontown Police Department.

“It was structural damage from the age of the building and weather,” he said. “The city engineer was on the scene and will be working through the issues with regard to what the building needs.”

He said the owners of the structure have been notified.

PennDOT officials said the street was closed in both directions, between Mount Vernon Avenue and Fayette Street, because of the unsafe structure.

Southbound traffic was being detoured along Mount Vernon Avenue, West Fayette Street and Pittsburgh Street. Northbound traffic was detoured along Fayette, Stewart and Main streets.

It wasn’t clear how long the street would remain closed.