April 15, 2026
In Response to Fern Hallow Bridge Collapse, City of Pittsburg Overhauls Bridge Asset Management Program
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April 15, 2026
Eric J. Seltzer, P.E., Chief Engineer, Dept of Mobility & Infrastructure, City of Pittsburg;
Lou Ruzzi, P.E., Vice President, Structural Engineer, WSP, (former PennDOT)
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Announcements: This portion of the IBT/ABC-UTC Monthly Webinar will provide you with the latest happenings related to Innovative Bridge Technologies and ABC in the US and abroad to keep you informed. (10 minutes)
Featured Presentation: In Response to Fern Hallow Bridge Collapse, City of Pittsburg Overhauls Bridge Asset Management Program (35 minutes)
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Description:
The City of Pittsburgh owns and maintains 143 bridges ranging in size from 8’ to over 1600’ in length. In 2022, the City’s Fern Hollow Bridge collapsed suddenly. While the bridge was quickly rebuilt in collaboration with PennDOT, the disaster raised questions about the safety of the rest of the City’s inventory. The City hired a team led by WSP to review the condition of all City bridges and develop a comprehensive bridge asset management program. The City has increased engineering staff and formed a new Bridge Maintenance Division to better manage its bridges. In this presentation, you will learn about the bridge collapse, the reconstruction, and the new bridge asset management program. We will also share lessons learned.
Presenters:
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Eric Seltzer, P.E.
Chief Engineer
Department of Mobility and Infrastructure
City of Pittsburg
Eric Setzler is the Chief Engineer for the City of Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI). In this role, he is responsible for managing the Project Design and Delivery Bureau, which consists of 28 project managers, engineers, inspectors, and support staff. The Bureau maintains over 1000 miles of city streets, 143 bridges, 800 sets of city steps, and 500 retaining walls; and delivers capital improvement projects for these assets. Eric is a licensed Professional Engineer in Pennsylvania and Ohio and serves on the Board of Directors of the Engineer’s Society of Western Pennsylvania.
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Lou Ruzzi, P.E.
Vice President
Structural Engineer
WSP
(Former PennDOT)
Lou Ruzzi has worked as a Vice President, Structural Engineer for WSP since October 2020. Prior to joining WSP, he spent 35 years at PennDOT in 2 districts. In District 11-0 he was the District Bridge Engineer and Assistant Bridge Engineer (Inspection), and in District 12, he was the Bridge Inspection Supervisor, bridge designer, and load rater. He served as the Chair of the AASHTO T 20 Tunnel Committee for 10 years, a member of the IBC EXCOM and the ASHE Pittsburgh and Southwest Pa sections. He serves on the IBT/ABC-UTC Advisory Committee. He is a Professional Engineer in Pennsylvania, Colorado, Utah and West Virginia.
Presentation Photos/Graphics:
1) The Fern Hallow Bridge, which Collapsed on January 28, 2022
2) Example of Drone Imagery Obtained to Verify Bridge Conditions
3) The Canadian Port of Entry
4) Example of In-House Work by New Bridge Maintenance Division
3) Bridge Maintenance Crew Sealing a Joint on a Bridge
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For More Information: Please visit our website (abc-utc.fiu.edu) for more information. You can also contact us by sending an email to abc@fiu.edu.