WASHINGTON, DC – PA U.S. Sen. Bob Casey has introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to strengthen standards for federally funded infrastructure projects by ensuring that critical corrosion prevention work is done by qualified workers using proven techniques. Corrosion is a leading cause of bridges falling into poor condition. The measure would also build on a recommendation from the National Transportation Safety Board and direct the Department of Transportation to study and generate best practices for inspecting and addressing corrosion on bridges made of weathering steel, a special type of steel that the former Fern Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh had been constructed with before it’s collapse. Casey said the Fern Hollow Bridge collapse on January 28, 2022 underscored the importance of taking corrosion prevention seriously. In 2021, the nation’s Infrastructure Report Card rated the bridges in PA with a D+ grade and the bridges across the U.S. with a C grade.
SEN. BOB CASEY