The irony of the situation was unbelievable: last Friday, the same day that President Joe Biden was set to deliver a speech about his new Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in Pittsburgh, the city experienced a miraculously non-fatal collapse of one of its most traveled bridges.

But for Pittsburgh and neighboring cities, the collapse does more than highlight the Infrastructure Law. It also brings an issue to the forefront that has been brushed aside time and time again — the importance of safe infrastructure to the region’s economy. As the Rust Belt has continued to rebuild after the loss of heavy industry, economic recovery has been the main focus, while infrastructure has often been overlooked. 

Yet without sufficient transportation support systems, the region will be less appealing when trying to attract investment from outside the region. 

Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey echoed the importance of the law to our region. “The bipartisan infrastructure law is critical to southwest Pennsylvania and the city of Pittsburgh,” he said.

The need to finally update and refurbish aging American infrastructure has existed for decades. The collapse of Pittsburgh’s Fern Hollow Bridge, while terrible, has made the public realize only now that the issue can be suppressed no longer.

In the city with the most bridges in the world, the Fern Hollow Bridge didn’t stand out, yet it was one of Pittsburgh’s busiest spans, carrying up to 14,000 vehicles a day. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the bridge had been in “poor” condition since 2011. The collapse has also posed an important question: if not on the brink of failing, how many other bridges around the country are in urgent need of repair?

It turns out that Pennsylvania is the state with the second-most bridges that are listed in “poor” condition by the Federal Highway Association, with 3,200 out of the 43,000 total bridges in need of repair across the US. The average age of an American bridge is 44 years, yet as most are built with a guaranteed lifespan of 50 years, the number of bridges in need of repair is increasing at a quicker rate every year.

Bridges do more than simply support transportation. They are the backbone of the supply chain, the links that hold together commerce. Bridges have always been important to Pittsburgh and other cities in the region, but they will only become more important in the future, as without sufficient transportation infrastructure, the region’s economy will be unable to continue growing. 

Although the Rust Belt may sometimes seem like a wasteland to outsiders thanks to events like the collapse, insufficient infrastructure has not stopped the region’s economic recovery. Even with modest population growth, the average wage in Pittsburgh rose by 25% from 2008 to 2018, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Clearly, the economy is on the upswing, but upgrades to infrastructure are necessary to continue this trend.

President Biden visited the site of the collapsed bridge before beginning his speech on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law at Mill 19, a new development using several old structures from the former Eliza Steel Works. It is significant that the speech occurred at a historic, revitalized mill, as improved infrastructure is the first step to more success stories in economic development like Mill 19.

The $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Law passed in November includes the largest investment in American bridges since the passage of the Interstate Highway Act. As part of the Bridge Formula Program, Pennsylvania will receive $1.6 billion to improve its bridges of the $26.5 billion total allotted by the law.

The Bridge Formula Program is the first federal program in American history to repair and upgrade bridges. A strong step forward, the program will affect more than simply the safety of transportation infrastructure; it’s a crucial step towards building a stronger economy for all of America, particularly in Pennsylvania and neighboring states.

Biden emphasized that improved transportation groundwork will be vital to rebuilding the Rust Belt’s economy. In upgrading its infrastructure, the region will help prevent a future supply chain crisis, and it will also become more appealing to large companies looking to build new facilities in America. The days of Pennsylvania as a manufacturing powerhouse are over, but that does not have to mean the state’s economy is unable to grow.

In the past, many Pennsylvania cities relied on specific manufacturing industries for generations, making their economies vulnerable to change. When that one industry left town, much of the population moved out with it, leaving the city’s economy in a struggle for relevance. In the ensuing years, necessary infrastructure improvements have often been skipped in favor of work to ensure basic economic survival. When it comes to Pittsburgh’s infrastructure, the collapse of the Fern Hollow bridge is simply the inevitable result after decades of incomplete upkeep. 

Sadly, a horrific event is sometimes needed to bring attention to an important current issue. The collapse of the Fern Hollow Bridge will be long remembered as a blot on Pittsburgh’s legacy as a city of bridges, but hopefully, it will also bring about long-overdue change. With such a palpable example of the importance of sound infrastructure, Pittsburgh — and the rest of the country — has realized that safe transportation is key to economic growth.

This story was originally published on The Uproar on February 1, 2022.