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[SGwithADD]

This is very near my former home in Regent Square, so naturally I crossed this bridge many times. It did always feel a little bouncy, didn't it? Or am I just confirmationing that bias?

I used to live in Shadyside and this was one of three or four bridges I drove on most frequently. I seem to remember it bouncing as well, particularly while waiting through multiple light cycles around rush hour, but maybe I'm also experiencing some confirmation bias

[jeffandnicole]

This is very near my former home in Regent Square, so naturally I crossed this bridge many times. It did always feel a little bouncy, didn't it? Or am I just confirmationing that bias?

I used to live in Shadyside and this was one of three or four bridges I drove on most frequently. I seem to remember it bouncing as well, particularly while waiting through multiple light cycles around rush hour, but maybe I'm also experiencing some confirmation bias

Most bridges are flexible to deal with numerous changes including temperature fluctuations, and by their very nature will "bounce" a bit.

[empirestate]

This is very near my former home in Regent Square, so naturally I crossed this bridge many times. It did always feel a little bouncy, didn't it? Or am I just confirmationing that bias?

I used to live in Shadyside and this was one of three or four bridges I drove on most frequently. I seem to remember it bouncing as well, particularly while waiting through multiple light cycles around rush hour, but maybe I'm also experiencing some confirmation bias

Most bridges are flexible to deal with numerous changes including temperature fluctuations, and by their very nature will "bounce" a bit.

Indeed, and that's what I would have told myself at the time. Now that this has happened, of course I'm going back and wondering why this one sticks out as being particularly bouncy.

It's like that common reaction people have when something calamitous happens: "See? This is why I never [do something that literally never occurred to me not to do until this calamity]." 

[Big John]

If a bouncy bridge suddenly becomes un-bouncy, get away from the bridge ASAP.

[Ketchup99]

This was weird, really weird. I'm a student at CMU and I was on a 61 bus over that bridge, bound for Wilkinsburg, the day before. Later that day I was going to be on another one, with some friends, again to Wilkinsburg. It was a little jarring to see the bridge we'd been on the day before and would be on later that day just collapse into the ravine.

And if I'm being honest, I never even realized there was a bridge on Forbes Avenue there. I assume if we'd left a little earlier I would have noticed...

[MCRoads]

This is very near my former home in Regent Square, so naturally I crossed this bridge many times. It did always feel a little bouncy, didn't it? Or am I just confirmationing that bias?

I used to live in Shadyside and this was one of three or four bridges I drove on most frequently. I seem to remember it bouncing as well, particularly while waiting through multiple light cycles around rush hour, but maybe I'm also experiencing some confirmation bias

Most bridges are flexible to deal with numerous changes including temperature fluctuations, and by their very nature will "bounce" a bit.

The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge was super bouncy! It was a little unnerving to stand there, looking down, then suddenly an 18 wheeler goes by and you move 2-3 inches up and down, lol. My grandpa thought that was pretty cool. My grandma didn’t.

I think the most movement I have ever felt on a bridge was center span on the Royal Gorge bridge during a windy day. Had to be at least 50 mph gusts. During the really big gusts, the bridge felt like it was “jumping” up about 12-18 inches! That was really interesting. Saw a couple of hats fly into the gorge that day. Would actually kind of like to experience that again, it was a fun sensation.

[ixnay]

[mrsman]

https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2022/01/31/penndot-investment-rebuild-fern-hollow-bridge/

For $25.3 million, that is almost expensive as widening a road from 2 lanes to 4 lanes.

The video that played while hitting this link had a spokesperson from (I believe) the city department of transportation telling people to use the Parkway instead of side streets to make the connection between east and west sides of the park.  She also mentioned that they were working on adjusting singal timing in the area to handle different traffic patterns.  [I noticed that the left turn arrow from Braddock to Forbes towards the closed bridge was shown on the video, so hopefully they can work on eliminating that unnecessary signal phase while the bridge is closed, sometime soon.  They probably will.]

Some other random comments on this;

Of course with any road story, I do my own peaking around GSV and formulate some thoughts of my own on general issues beyond the collapse.

First, Forbes Ave on both sides of the park, west of Beechwood and east of Braddock,  is 1 driving lane in each direction with parking.  Between Beechwood and Braddock, there are two driving lanes in each direction.  The lanes appear narrow and there are also narrow bike lanes within the park.  It would seem that this would be a good candidate for some form of road diet to maintain one lane in each direction, an occasional passing lane in the park*, and protected bike lanes within the park.  So basically 3 lanes of traffic and two protected bike lanes within the right of way.  The ends of the route, basically the last few feet eastbound approaching Braddock and westbound approaching Beechwood should maintain existing lane assingnments so each direction gets its own lane eastobund.  Westbound two lanes will allow for a right turn only lane at Beechwood.  The arrangement will also make left turn pockets possible at Dallas Ave. 

The weird loop of Beechwood near Dallas also deserves a comment.  While I have some ideas for this section, the current arrangement does seem to handle the traffic flows pretty well.  THe Beechwood/Dallas intersection should be signalized and coordinated with the Forbes/Dallas intersection that is nearby.

* While not strictly necessary, i could see there being a need for occasionally passing slow moving vehicles in this long stretch.  A brief stretch of passing lane in the center in each direction could be provided as there would be room for three vehicle lanes.

[kernals12]

I don't think this bridge is going to be bought by an eccentric British tycoon and put on display in Devon.

[Ketchup99]

https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2022/01/31/penndot-investment-rebuild-fern-hollow-bridge/

For $25.3 million, that is almost expensive as widening a road from 2 lanes to 4 lanes.

The video that played while hitting this link had a spokesperson from (I believe) the city department of transportation telling people to use the Parkway instead of side streets to make the connection between east and west sides of the park.  She also mentioned that they were working on adjusting singal timing in the area to handle different traffic patterns.  [I noticed that the left turn arrow from Braddock to Forbes towards the closed bridge was shown on the video, so hopefully they can work on eliminating that unnecessary signal phase while the bridge is closed, sometime soon.  They probably will.]

Some other random comments on this;

Of course with any road story, I do my own peaking around GSV and formulate some thoughts of my own on general issues beyond the collapse.

First, Forbes Ave on both sides of the park, west of Beechwood and east of Braddock,  is 1 driving lane in each direction with parking.  Between Beechwood and Braddock, there are two driving lanes in each direction.  The lanes appear narrow and there are also narrow bike lanes within the park.  It would seem that this would be a good candidate for some form of road diet to maintain one lane in each direction, an occasional passing lane in the park*, and protected bike lanes within the park.  So basically 3 lanes of traffic and two protected bike lanes within the right of way.  The ends of the route, basically the last few feet eastbound approaching Braddock and westbound approaching Beechwood should maintain existing lane assingnments so each direction gets its own lane eastobund.  Westbound two lanes will allow for a right turn only lane at Beechwood.  The arrangement will also make left turn pockets possible at Dallas Ave. 

The weird loop of Beechwood near Dallas also deserves a comment.  While I have some ideas for this section, the current arrangement does seem to handle the traffic flows pretty well.  THe Beechwood/Dallas intersection should be signalized and coordinated with the Forbes/Dallas intersection that is nearby.

* While not strictly necessary, i could see there being a need for occasionally passing slow moving vehicles in this long stretch.  A brief stretch of passing lane in the center in each direction could be provided as there would be room for three vehicle lanes.

A road diet on that part of Forbes doesn't seem like a very good idea to me. All of the lanes are pretty important, and it carries a lot of traffic. Consider that most traffic from Oakland and Squirrel Hill into the Parkway, into Wilkinsburg, and into Homewood all follow that stretch of Forbes.

No, it should be rebuilt with all four lanes - and the sooner, the better.

[rickmastfan67]

[tolbs17]

I've seen big trucks ignore warning signs and they make bridges so vulnerable to collapse which will warrant a rehabilitation or replacement.

I like how warning signs are right next to bridges, but I prefer some to be right at the entrance of the road heading towards the bridge.

[Mapmikey]

I like how warning signs are right next to bridges, but I prefer some to be right at the entrance of the road heading towards the bridge.

This is standard practice in Virginia

[74/171FAN]

PennDOT - District 11 News: Fern Hollow Bridge Design, Construction Advance in Pittsburgh

[rickmastfan67]

https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/report-finds-fern-hollow-bridge-appeared-to-have-had-major-decay-just-months-before-collapse/

(video at that link)

[74/171FAN]

PennDOT - District 11 News: Fern Hollow Bridge Beam Deliveries Begin Monday

[rickmastfan67]

Update video.  They think they can have the replacement bridge open before Christmas!

[zzcarp]

Update video.  They think they can have the replacement bridge open before Christmas!

That seems amazingly fast for construction in 2022. Glad they're working so quickly.

[rickmastfan67]

Update video.  They think they can have the replacement bridge open before Christmas!

That seems amazingly fast for construction in 2022. Glad they're working so quickly.

They needed to, due to Forbes Avenue being a needed detour route due to upcoming I-376 construction.

[SGwithADD]

A further update - they're on track for Christmas! One lane in each direction, along with the pedestrian path, for now. Full bridge, with two lanes in each direction, should open by late spring 2023.

[74/171FAN]

PennDOT-Statewide News:  Wolf Cuts Ribbon on Fern Hollow Bridge, Celebrates Government That Works for Pennsylvania

[LilianaUwU]

PennDOT-Statewide News:  Wolf Cuts Ribbon on Fern Hollow Bridge, Celebrates Government That Works for Pennsylvania

"A government that works"? Considering the previous bridge collapsed, I don't know about that.

[Scott5114]

PennDOT-Statewide News:  Wolf Cuts Ribbon on Fern Hollow Bridge, Celebrates Government That Works for Pennsylvania

"A government that works"? Considering the previous bridge collapsed, I don't know about that.

I mean, I guess they could have just left the bridge in the hollow...

[kalvado]

PennDOT-Statewide News:  Wolf Cuts Ribbon on Fern Hollow Bridge, Celebrates Government That Works for Pennsylvania

"A government that works"? Considering the previous bridge collapsed, I don't know about that.

I mean, I guess they could have just left the bridge in the hollow...

You made me think of something like I-35 in Minneapolis would become a "natural case of urban highway removal" these days...

[74/171FAN]

PennDOT - District 11 News:  Fern Hollow Bridge Reopens Thursday Afternoon