Investigators have promised to examine a collapsed bridge in a Pittsburgh park “under a microscope.”
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — On Saturday, federal investigators promised to review evidence from a collapsed bridge in a Pittsburgh park “under a microscope,” including footage from a municipal bus that plunged along the span, forcing rescuers to rappel into a ravine and create a human chain to reach a few people.
At the time of Friday’s predawn collapse in Frick Park, five cars, including the bus, were on the bridge.
According to city officials, eleven people were evaluated and treated for minor injuries, including several first responders, and three people were sent to area hospitals with non-life threatening injuries.
The bridge collapsed, rupturing gas lines that ran alongside it, resulting in a massive gas leak and the evacuation of several people.
Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, said Saturday evening that investigators would “put this bridge under the microscope” in the coming weeks, looking at its “entire history” from design and construction to maintenance and repair, as well as all work done up until the day of the collapse.
CONTINUE>>> Investigators have promised to examine a collapsed bridge in a Pittsburgh park “under a microscope.”
On Saturday, a crash reconstructionist deployed a drone to map the scene, and investigators looked at the structure and the legs beneath the bridge deck for signs of corrosion and fatigue cracking, as well as to see how the structure came to rest.
Investigators were also looking for locations to look at more closely and may want to send portions back to the lab for analysis, she said.
Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, said Saturday evening that investigators would “put this bridge under the microscope” in the coming weeks, looking at its “entire history” from design to construction to maintenance and repair, as well as all work completed up until the day of the collapse.
On Saturday, a crash reconstructionist used a drone to map the scene, and investigators looked for signs of corrosion and fatigue cracking in the framework and the legs beneath the bridge deck, as well as how the structure came to rest.
Investigators were also looking for places to look more closely, and she said they might want to send samples back to the lab for analysis.
“And then the damage is huge, massive when you’re near to the structure, and underneath the building.”” “When you’re there,” she remarked, the sight “definitely takes your breath away.””
Homendy, on the other hand, warned people to keep away from the park, which is still closed, citing the dangers posed by both the structure and the vehicles on the scene.
The collapse occurred only hours before President Joe Biden arrived in the city to pitch his $1 trillion infrastructure program, which includes $1.6 billion for bridge maintenance in Pennsylvania.
As Biden toured the scene on Friday, an officer informed him that a passer-by assisted first responders in getting people out of cars.
He referred to it as a miracle.
The bridge is a major thoroughfare connecting the Squirrel Hill and Oakland districts, as well as a popular route to downtown Pittsburgh.
In the absence of the main artery, Pittsburgh Firefighters Local 1 president Ralph Sicuro told KDKA-TV that at least three stations must come up with alternate response routes.
Gov. Tom Wolf signed a proclamation of disaster emergency to expedite the bridge’s restoration.
A preliminary report in 10 days would only comprise factual investigation, according to Homendy, while a full report may take 12 to 18 months.
She indicated that removing the bus, cars, and portions of the structure would have to wait until the bus’s diesel and cameras were removed.
Moving the bus securely is a “major operation” that will take time, and inspectors may wish to investigate newly uncovered places during that time, she said.
Source: abc News
