Aging Pittsburgh bridge collapses in early morning while cars were driving on it

  • Officials said a bridge collapsed in Pittsburgh early Friday. Authorities said a gas line was cut.

  • KDKA shared a photo showing at least six vehicles in the rubble.

  • The bridge was listed as being in "poor condition" by Pennsylvania's Department of Transportation.

An aging bridge in Pittsburgh that was listed as being in poor condition collapsed early Friday morning, public-safety officials said.

The bridge, located on Forbes Avenue, near Frick Park, came down around 6 a.m., the Associated Press reported.

Mayor Ed Gainey of Pittsburgh said there were ten minor injuries as a result of the collapse, including three people who were taken to the hospital, CNN reported.

"Right now we're still assessing the situation and getting information, but the good thing at this point, there are no fatalities," Gainey said.

A photo published by KDKA showed at least six vehicles in the rubble of the bridge, at least one of which was partially overturned. It also showed snowy conditions in the city.

Other photos showed a commuter bus sitting on a section of the bridge after the collapse.

Pittsburgh Public Safety told people to avoid the area, warning of "a strong smell of natural gas in the area." The agency later said a gas line was cut.

Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman called the bridge collapse "surreal" during an interview with CNN.

"It's just surreal to see a bridge you've driven over countless times go down," said Fetterman, who called the bridge a "vital artery" in the city.

bus on a collapsed bridge in Pittsburgh
Several people were left with minor injuries as a result of the Pittsburgh bridge collapse.AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

"Thankfully, schools were on a two-hour delay for weather, so the traffic was less than it would have been normally on a normal day, but it's surreal to see this bridge," Fetterman added.

The bridge on Forbes Avenue had been listed as being in "poor condition" by Pennsylvania's Department of Transportation. President Joe Biden's administration also warned earlier this month that 3,300 bridges in the state needed repair.

Biden was expected to visit Pittsburgh on Friday. Reports said he was expected to tout the infrastructure bill he passed into law last November, which included $1.6 billion from the federal government to improve Pennsylvania's bridges.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki tweeted on Friday that Biden's trip to the city would go ahead as planned.

"At the end of the day we could have had some serious injuries," Mayor Gainey said. "At the end of the day this is critical that we get this funding."

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