About
The City of Pittsburgh, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), is advancing the Charles Anderson Memorial Bridge project.
The bridge is a critical link on Boulevard of the Allies, a roadway connecting Squirrel Hill and Greenfield to Oakland and downtown. The bridge also serves as a key entrance to Schenley Park, carrying the Boulevard over the Junction Hollow trails and CSX railroad.
This project aims to modernize the Charles Anderson Bridge with an emphasis on safety for all users of the bridge.
Upcoming Events
Past Events
Updates
December 2023—engineers across the city and state are putting the finishing touches on the final and comprehensive bridge rehabilitation plans. The City of Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) expect to have a complete design package and solicit for construction bids in January 2024. Once a construction contract is secured, the rehabilitation project will begin, which is expected to require three full years to complete.
November 2023—DOMI has been working to advance the plans and designs of the bridge, as well as line up applicable reviews. They have submitted a review application to the Public Art & Civic Design Commission (PACDC) regarding certain design elements of the bridge. The project is scheduled for the Commission’s virtual/Zoom hearing on Wednesday, November 15. OPDC has been in regular contact with DOMI to review refinements to the design since the May meeting. DOMI clearly heard resident concerns regarding lines of sight at Parkview, accessibility of the cycle tracks, lighting and design, and the designs proposed are consistent with the priorities articulated in the Oakland Plan. OPDC will work with DOMI to schedule follow-up public engagement meetings about this project and its progress in the next few months, to be sure the public is well informed.
April 2023—The city shared an overview of the Preliminary Engineering phase of the project (PDF) as the team transitions into Final Design.
February 1, 2023—Based on an updated structural analysis, the Charles Anderson Bridge has been closed to all vehicular traffic until repairs can be made. The bridge will remain open to pedestrians and bicycles, as will the Junction Hollow Trail, which runs below the bridge. Needed repairs to the bridge will be undertaken as soon as possible to re-open the bridge to vehicles. DOMI estimates these repairs will take no fewer than four months and are projected to cost between $1M and $2M. View the press release for more.
January 7, 2022—DOMI published a project update on the EngagePGH project page. Preliminary design work continues throughout 2022 and DOMI plans to hold a public meeting later this year. 2025 is the anticipated start of construction.
September 24 and 26, 2019—The Department of Mobility and Infrastructure hosted two public meetings to share updates about project timelines and collect community feedback. The City is working with engineering consultants at Michael Baker International to determine if the bridge will be rehabbed or replaced. This decision will not be made until fall 2021, when part of the design is complete. The project itself will take an additional two to three years to complete. Residents discussed the following areas of concern at the September meetings: dangerous intersection at Parkview Ave and the Blvd of the Allies, impact of the project on surrounding properties, detours affecting traffic flow, narrow sidewalks along the bridge, protected bike lane, speeding on the Blvd of the Allies, and other opportunities for infrastructure updates to entrances into Schenley Park. DOMI has contracted with Michael Baker to analyze cost/benefit of repair versus replacement, and the city is still awaiting MBI's report on that.