Steel truss concerns prompted Pittsburgh to close Panther Hollow Bridge

Pittsburgh’s top engineer said concerns about steel trusses spurred the closure this weekend of the Panther Hollow Bridge in Schenley Park.

Eric Setzler, the city’s chief engineer, could not say when the bridge might reopen.

The 640-foot-long bridge, which spans Panther Hollow near Anderson Playground in the city’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood, was shut down to vehicle traffic after inspectors recommended closing it pending further analysis.

Setzler did not elaborate on what inspectors have found so far. He said he couldn’t provide details on what kinds of repairs may be necessary or speculate on a reopening date until an analysis is complete.

Olga George, a spokeswoman for Mayor Ed Gainey, said inspectors were concerned that corrosion of the steel in some areas could weaken the bridge. Officials are waiting for more information on the exact locations of those weak spots and the scope of the issue, she said.

“Optimistically, I hope the issues are something we can address reasonably quickly,” Setzler said.

An outside bridge inspector detected the problem and called a city bridge engineer, George said.

That person then notified Setzler, who relayed information to other city leaders. The decision to close the bridge came after a conference call with the inspectors, city officials and representatives of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

Setzler said the outside bridge inspector was checking on the span’s load-bearing limits.

Panther Hollow Bridge was built in 1896 and refurbished in 1999. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation lists the bridge in fair condition, and a 2022 bridge report commissioned by the city gave it the same ranking.

A posted detour is directing motorists to use Schenley Drive and Wightman, Beacon and Hobart streets.

The nearby Charles Anderson Bridge has been closed since early last year.

Mayor Ed Gainey at the time vowed that he would not “hesitate to close a bridge for the safety of our citizens” and shut the span to vehicular traffic amid safety concerns.

A $56 million rehabilitation is underway, but work is not expected to be completed until 2026.

That leaves drivers to detour around two bridge closures within Schenley Park, which contains Phipps Conservatory, a golf course, carousel, skating rink, playgrounds and other amenities.

“It certainly makes it challenging to drive through Schenley Park right now,” Setzler said.

City Councilwoman Barb Warwick, D-Greenfield, said the closures are worsening traffic on Greenfield Avenue and throughout Squirrel Hill. She encouraged people to try to avoid congested streets like Greenfield Avenue and Bates Street around rush hour.

Despite the traffic and detours, Warwick said, it’s imperative that officials close potentially dangerous bridges.

“Unfortunately, this is something we will have to get through in order to get these bridges repaired and safe, because we don’t want another bridge collapse,” she said.

Warwick was referring to the Jan. 28, 2022, collapse of the Fern Hollow Bridge in Frick Park. Federal investigators blamed the collapse partly on the city for allowing the bridge to corrode until it fell, severely injuring several motorists.

Though pedestrians and cyclists currently can cross both bridges, construction work on the Charles Anderson Memorial Bridge will close it to pedestrians and cyclists starting November 4, said George.

“It’s becoming harder and harder to get to this side of the bridge,” Council member Bob Charland, D-South Side, quipped after crossing the Charles Anderson Memorial Bridge on foot to attend a groundbreaking ceremony at the site Monday.

Gainey said his decision to close the Panther Hollow Bridge — much like his earlier move to close the Charles Anderson Bridge — prioritized safety.

“I don’t want to wake up to more bridges falling,” Gainey said. “It made me nervous.”