PITTSBURGH —The U.S. Department of Transportation has committed $25.3 million to the replacement of the Fern Hollow Bridge, which collapsed Friday into a ravine below it in Frick Park.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation confirmed Tuesday that the money will be made available through the National Highway Performance Program. The funds are directly related to additional funding that became available because of the bipartisan infrastructure bill President Joe Biden signed into law in November.
The funding is expected to cover the full cost of replacing the 497-foot Forbes Avenue bridge in Point Breeze without the need for a local match. PennDOT is working with federal and local officials to begin the design of the replacement and cut through red tape to move the project as quickly as possible, but it could take as long as two years before a new bridge opens.
