Christopher Deluzio

PennDOT can expect an infusion of federal funds in its latest bridge replacement project in Penn Hills.

U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Fox Chapel, announced Tuesday that he had secured $850,000 to replace the nearly century-old Verona Road Bridge, which opened in 1930 and crosses Sandy Creek between the intersections of Mt. Carmel and Lincoln roads.

“We, for a long time in this country, neglected infrastructure,” Deluzio said. “That should be over.”

PennDOT expects the bridge replacement to cost around $4.7 million — much of which will go toward building a concrete culvert to channel water under Verona Road, District 11 Executive Jason Zang said.

The new bridge will eliminate “structural and geometric deficiencies” in the existing structure and its approaching roadways and reduce ongoing maintenance costs, according to Deluzio’s spokesman, Matt Moore.

PennDOT will solicit bids next summer, and construction should take a year to complete, Zang said.

Verona Road is an important artery for Penn Hills — one of Pittsburgh’s largest suburbs with a population of 41,000 — and houses several businesses and the Penn Hills Fireman’s Club.

Zang said about 6,000 vehicles cross the bridge each day, although most commuters would not notice it as one since it is low to the ground.

“It’s a small bridge but a very critical length,” he said.

Ernest Jackson, chief of Penn Hills Volunteer Fire Department Station 221, said the bridge replacement was “well-needed” to ensure his team could quickly reach emergencies.

“We utilize that road to get to and from other parts of Penn Hills when responding to calls, whether they’re fires or whether it’s first responder calls,” he said.

Deluzio serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and has secured funding for 14 community projects in the 17th District for Fiscal Year 2026, including an intersection realignment in Aspinwall and landslide prevention measures in Sewickley. The projects are collectively worth $193 million.