Pittsburgh Seeks Approval for $500K Bridge Collapse Settlement

Pittsburgh is hoping to settle lawsuits linked to the collapse of the Forbes Avenue bridge in January 2022 through the approval of a $500,000 payment. Deputy Mayor Jake Pawlak has requested the City Council approve the payment, the maximum liability damage cap, for those impacted by the incident. On January 28, 2022, the bridge fell into Fern Hollow Creek, plunging a bus and four cars nearly 100 feet, resulting in injuries but no fatalities.

The settlement requires approval from the council and the overseeing judge. The move caught plaintiffs' attorneys by surprise, but they commended Pittsburgh for "accepting responsibility" and agreeing to the statutory limit to partly resolve the matter. Litigation against three engineering firms implicated in the bridge's failure will proceed. Federal investigators concluded that the city failed to maintain and repair the bridge adequately, leading to corrosion in its steel legs.

Pittsburgh officials acknowledged these findings and have since established a bridge maintenance division and increased funding for upkeep and repairs threefold. A new bridge, located five miles east of downtown Pittsburgh, became operational in December 2022. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)