Heavily Traveled Pittsburgh Bridge Abruptly Closed

PITTSBURGH, PA ? Safety concerns prompted the emergency closure of the Panther Hollow Bridge in Oakland to vehicular traffic on Saturday.

City officials said the decision to close the span, which carries traffic over Panther Hollow in Schenley Park near Phipps Conservatory, was made "amid an abundance of caution" based on the recommendation of PennDOT and an inspection consultant.

?I made a pledge to the residents of Pittsburgh that I will not hesitate to close a bridge for the safety of our citizens," Mayor Ed Gainey said in a statement. "Thanks to the Bridge Asset Management safety systems that we have put in place, we?ve been made aware of this situation early, allowing us to act in a proactive manner to close this bridge.?

It's unclear when the bridge could reopen. City officials said any necessary repairs will be made after a further analysis is completed.

The detour route is Schenley Drive, Wightman Street, Beacon Street and Hobart Street.