"Vital" Ross Township bridge closed after crews find corroded steel in pier

A bridge that's a "vital link" for drivers in Ross Township has closed after crews found corroded steel in the only pier, Allegheny County Public Works announced on Thursday. 

Jacks Run Road Bridge No. 3, which carries the road over I-279 between Bellevue Road/Bellpark Drive and Kane Lane in Ross Township, will be closed for an undetermined time after an inspection. 

Inspectors find corroded steel in bridge's only pier

Public Works said inspectors found corroded steel within the bridge's only pier, making it impossible for engineers to determine how much weight the bridge can safely hold. 

In 2021, Public Works hired a consultant to start designing a replacement for the bridge, which was built in 1986 and is used by an average of about 4,600 drivers a day. Construction on a new bridge was expected to happen in 2027.

However, Public Works said plans changed when a consultant, hired to address concrete deterioration, was asked to look closer at the pier. During the inspection, Public Works said the consultant learned the steel reinforcement bars that provide strength to the pier were corroded, and some were completely broken. 

Public Works trying to figure out fix

Now Public Works is trying to decide if it's feasible to move up the replacement project's schedule. If not, Public Works said it will try to reopen the bridge as quickly as possible by shoring up the pier. 

There's no timetable for how long that will take, though. 

"Out of an abundance of caution and to ensure the safety of drivers using the bridge and those driving underneath it on I-279, we made the difficult decision to close the bridge today," Public Works Director Stephen Shanley said in a news release. 

"This is not a decision we took lightly. We know this is a vital link for drivers in Ross, and we will do everything possible to get the bridge reopened as soon as possible. Thank you to those impacted by this closure for your patience and understanding."