The Post-Gazette has created a database that allows readers to search the conditions of more than 22,000 bridges across the state — the first such database of its kind in Pennsylvania — to better inform the public about the spans in their communities and where millions of drivers cross each day. Though the state Department of Transportation no longer makes public the notes written by inspectors, citing an exemption to Pennsylvania’s open records law, the Post-Gazette downloaded the communications before they were removed and believes the public has a right to know more about the bridges in their communities. Since some of the information does not relate to bridge safety — including emails and phone numbers — the Post-Gazette has chosen to remove that data from public view.

See related story: Hidden Rot: Pennsylvania blocks critical details of state's most decrepit bridges

Using the search box

Searching for a specific bridge

Enter one or more of the following into the search field:

• Bridge name: Note that some names of bridges are not official, so some other search term might be needed.
• Street name
• What it crosses: Usually, bridges cross rivers, creeks, valleys and other streets. This is the category labeled "Feature Intersected".
• Municipality or county: For example, searching for "Allegheny" will show all the bridges in Allegheny County, as well as any bridges that include the word in its name or description. Adding a municipality can narrow your search, such as "Monroeville".

Search tips

• Using quotation marks: can narrow your search. Example: Searching 9 mile run without quotation marks returns 420 results. Searching "9 mile run" with quotation marks gives just one result.
• Find bridges near you or in a particular region by entering a specific municipality or county.
• Multiple terms can function as search filters. Example: Searching for Fern
yields 19 results. Adding Pittsburgh and Forbes gives just one result.