The city of Pittsburgh announced the emergency closure Saturday of the Panther Hollow Bridge in Schenley Park after inspectors found problems with steel truss members that support the structure.
Chief Engineer Eric Setzler said the 620-foot bridge is being closed out of “an abundance of caution” while the city and consultants do more analysis to determine whether there can be temporary improvements or it has to remain closed for a long-term upgrade. The city posted signs and barricades Saturday morning to prevent vehicles from using the bridge and expects to have formal detour signs posted in a few days.
The bridge is the link between Phipps Conservatory at one end and the Schenley Pool at the other end. It will remain open to pedestrians and bicyclists.
In an interview just after the bridge closed, Setzler said a consultant was doing a routine evaluation for load bearing on the bridge Friday when the problem was discovered. The bridge had a federal condition rating of 5, which is considered fair, had no load restriction and hadn’t been considered among the city’s problem bridges that needed immediate attention.
“It was certainly new information for us [Friday],” he said. “We’re closing it for the time being. It’s too early to say how long.”
The city has stepped up its bridge maintenance program since the January 2022 collapse of the Fern Hollow Bridge that joins Squirrel Hill and Point Breeze less than a month after Mayor Ed Gainey took office. That bridge fell into Frick Park after being rated in poor condition for more than 15 years and receiving little attention, inspectors from the National Transportation Safety Board concluded in February.
The bridge was replaced 11 months later.
“I made a pledge to the residents of Pittsburgh that I will not hesitate to close a bridge for the safety of our citizens,” Gainey said in a news release announcing the Panther Hollow closure. “Thanks to the Bridge Asset Management safety systems that we have put in place, we’ve been made aware of this situation early, allowing us to act in a proactive manner to close this bridge.”
The bridge is the second the city has closed in Schenley Park. The Charles Anderson Bridge was closed in February 2023 for emergency repairs, but the city decided instead to expedite its replacement.
A news conference is scheduled Monday to announce the start of a $48.5 million replacement project.
Setzler said the second closure will make it more difficult to navigate through the historic park.
“It’s making it a challenge there,” he said.
The recommended detour will use Schenley Drive, Wightman Street, Beacon Street and Hobart Street.
According to historicbridges.org, Panther Hollow is considered “a very old and large example of steel arch technology and is also a rare example of a three-hinged deck arch. Just as noteworthy are the bridge’s stone arch approach spans.”
The original bridge was built in 1897 and is almost identical to the nearby Schenley Bridge except that it has bronze panthers designed by Giuseppe Moretti on each corner.
Ed covers transportation at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at eblazina@unionprogress.com.