FILE—This is a Pittsburgh Transit Authority bus that was on the Fern Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh when it collapsed in this file photo from Jan. 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
Harrisburg, PA – At a ceremony today, Governor Josh Shapiro will present a group of employees from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) with Governor’s Awards for Excellence in recognition of their efforts to replace the Fern Hollow Bridge in less than a year after its collapse, restoring a critical connection between communities in the City of Pittsburgh.
The honorees are all based in District 11, PennDOT’s Pittsburgh regional office:
- Michele Mara Acitelli, Senior Civil Engineer Manager;
- Robert Byrnes, Senior Civil Engineer Supervisor;
- Zachary Kamnikar, Civil Engineer Manager;
- Douglas Seeley, Assistant District 11 Executive, Design;
- Shane Szalankiewicz, Senior Civil Engineer Manager;
- Michael Szurley, Senior Project Manager;
- Douglas Thompson, Senior Civil Engineer Manager;
- Mark Young, Environmental Planning Manager; and
- Jason Zang, District 11 Executive.
“I’m incredibly proud that PennDOT and the project team have been recognized with this award,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “Rebuilding the Fern Hollow Bridge in record time was the direct result of incredible collaboration and is a testament to what is possible when everyone is committed to taking action and finding solutions.”
The Fern Hollow Bridge carries Forbes Avenue over Frick Park, Fern Hollow Creek and Tranquil Trail, collapsed on the morning of January 28, 2022. The cause of the collapse is still under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Immediately following the collapse, then-Governor Tom Wolf and Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey issued Declaration of Disaster Emergency Proclamations, which permitted the City of Pittsburgh, which owns the bridge, to enter into a legal agreement to allow PennDOT to manage the design and construction of the new Fern Hollow Bridge. The proclamations also provided the Federal Highway Administration and PennDOT the approval to immediately contract with Swank Construction Company and HDR Inc. for the removal of the collapsed structure, and the design and construction of the new Fern Hollow Bridge. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), signed by President Biden in November 2021, allowed PennDOT to quickly dedicate $25.3 million in federal funds to the project without impacting other critical regional needs.
Thanks to collaboration with the City of Pittsburgh and PennDOT’s innovative approach to the standard design process, multiple design phases occurred simultaneously including foundation, substructure, superstructure, utility relocation, environmental, and aesthetic aspects of the project, which allowed project delivery to be expedited by multiple years. The bridge opened to traffic on December 22, 2022, less than a year after the collapse.
The Governor’s Awards for Excellence recognize exemplary job performance or service that reflects initiative, leadership, innovation and increased efficiency. The PennDOT team was among 54 employees from eight state agencies honored by Governor Shapiro at a ceremony today for exceptional accomplishments in 2022.