Pittsburgh Bridge Collapse: Biden Visits Site Where Span Fell

PITTSBURGH, PA — President Joe Biden stopped at the site of a major bridge collapse here before traveling to Hazelwood for a previously scheduled address regarding the nation's failing infrastructure.

Ten people were injured during the early morning collapse of the heavily traveled bridge over Frick Park between South Dallas and South Braddock avenues. None of the injuries were considered life-threatening.

"I’ve been coming to Pittsburgh a long time and as a former Pennsylvanian, but I didn’t realize there are literally more bridges in Pittsburgh than any other city in the world," Biden said, standing feet from where the bridge collapsed into a park ravine. "We're going to fix them all."

Biden previously was scheduled to come to Pittsburgh primarily to tout the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law he signed into law in November. Of that amount, more than $550 billion is earmarked for road, bridge, airport, waterways and energy system projects.

Biden noted that the Frick Park bridge had been rated in poor condition for more than 10 years. Biden said that across Pennsylvania there are 3,300 bridges "which are just as old and in just as decrepit condition as that bridge was, including in Pittsburgh, the city of bridges.”

He then noted that there are 45,000 bridges across the country in poor condition.

“That is simply just unacceptable," Biden said.

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