In the wake of the Fern Hollow Bridge collapse in Pittsburgh, two officials from the state Department of Transportation answered questions on bridge safety posed by reporters from across the state at a Friday afternoon Zoom meeting.

PennDOT’s Melissa Batula, acting executive deputy secretary, and Mike Keiser, acting deputy secretary for highway administration, answered questions about bridges, their inspections, weight restrictions, repairs and other facts, but could not discuss the fallen Fern Hollow Bridge because the cause of its collapse is under investigation.

Batula said Pennsylvania owns more than 25,400 bridges, which are inspected regularly by PennDOT per federal requirements.

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