City, PennDOT did not manage bridge maintenance properly, the board says.

Citing the 2022 Pittsburgh span failure, the National Transportation Safety Board says bridges made of uncoated weathering steel plate could face accelerated deterioration and potential collapse without immediate action.

The sudden collapse of Pittsburgh’s Fern Hollow Bridge early on Jan. 28, 2022, gained national attention, occurring the same day as a pre-planned visit to the city by President Joe Biden and just weeks after Congress passed the $1.2-trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, in part to restore the safety and integrity of aging U.S. transportation systems.

With the project team performing under a national spotlight, collaboration proved key to the rapid restoration of collapsed span, a critical local crossing.

The report provides additional information about how the collapse proceeded, but does not discuss why the accident occurred.