U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) on Thursday announced the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) will receive $132 million in federal funding to fix three bridges in Pittsburgh.
The funding, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), will address repairs to the McKees Rocks Bridge ($25 million), the West End Bridge ($47 million), and the Fort Duquesne Bridge ($60 million). Both the McKees Rocks Bridge and the Fort Duquesne Bridge projects will receive direct funding from the BIL.
“The infrastructure law is making Pittsburgh’s many bridges safer for the thousands of residents, commuters, and travelers who rely on them every day,” Casey said. “The McKees Rocks, West End, and Fort Duquesne Bridges are vital to keeping the City of Pittsburgh moving. When we improve the condition of our bridges, we strengthen the region’s economy and make the City of Bridges easier to navigate.”
The funding will cover repainting the bridges’ superstructures, fixing steel components, and repairing and replacing joints and bearings. Officials said the work will improve the bridges’ structural integrity and longevity. The repairs, Casey said, will ultimately help the surrounding communities’ economic growth connecting areas of Pittsburgh to other nearby communities, as well as helping with traffic flow on Pittsburgh game days.
Money from the BIL has allowed the PennDOT to reallocate existing funding to additional bridges in Pittsburgh and across the state, Casey said.