US bridge collapses just before Biden visit due to infrastructure

A bridge collapsed in Pittsburgh on Friday, just before President Joe Biden came to the city to promote his mega-investment in the country’s infrastructure. At the time of the collapse, four vehicles, including a city bus with two passengers, were on the bridge. Three people are in hospital, but none of them are in life-threatening condition.

Infrastructure is a key focal point for Biden. In November last year, Congress approved a $1 trillion investment package intended for refurbishing roads, railways and internet connections – but also for bridge maintenance. Biden traveled to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Friday to discuss the benefits of the investment package, but won’t need much persuasion now.

The bridge was covered in snow, although it is not yet known whether that is also the cause of the incident. The bridge had been inspected as of September, the mayor of Pittsburgh said.

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According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 3,198 bridges in Pennsylvania are in poor condition. Infrastructure across the US is so bad that even some Republican members of the highly polarized Congress voted in favor of the investment package. The first year of Biden’s presidency was also marked by an obstructive Republican party, which is blocking many of its bills in Congress.

Biden benefits from presenting infrastructure investment as a win as he loses popular support. When he took office, he was still appreciated by 53 percent of Americans, at one last measurement that was 41 percent. In that regard, a witness on radio station KDKA said it was “a bizarre coincidence” that the bridge collapsed just before Biden’s visit. John Fetterman, the Democratic lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, said the collapse is a “wake-up call.” “We really need to make those investments in infrastructure.”

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