City Closes Public Observation Area Indefinitely – CBS Pittsburgh

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Just days after opening, city officials are closing the viewing area of ​​the Fern Hollow Bridge collapse site in Frick Park indefinitely.

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It is being closed so contractors can begin setting up large equipment on Forbes Avenue to clean up the fallen structure and eventually begin rebuilding it, city officials said.

“In the interest of protecting the public, pedestrians and vehicles will not be permitted on the section of Forbes roadway beyond S. Dallas leading to the site,” the city said.

The viewing area opened Monday afternoon on the Soc hillside of the collapse site to provide a safe place for the public to view the bridge’s ruins. Many people have tried to view the site from the hills and wooded trails in the park.

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“That area can be very unstable, especially when the weather changes and the ground becomes muddy,” Acting Public Safety Director Lee Schmidt said earlier this week.

The city’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure is monitoring the area and will adjust signal times as needed, the city said.

In Frick Park, the Tranquil Trail remains closed within 100 yards of the collapse site. The Undercliff Trail is also closed. Clayton Loop, Biddle Trail and Homewood Trail remain open.

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In addition to the contractors who are starting work on the scene, the NTSB is still actively investigating.