A controlled explosion that was supposed to take down the Parkway East’s Commercial Street Bridge was postponed Wednesday evening as safety preparations continue.
The demolition was postponed just after 8 p.m. Pittsburgh police officers relayed the news to reporters and onlookers.
PennDOT officials in a short statement said the demolition will occur Thursday. They did not provide a time.
The bridge demolition is part of PennDOT’s ongoing project to replace the aging structure that carries the Parkway East over Commercial Street near Frick Park. The work has closed a section of the parkway since last week and is expected to continue through Aug. 3 while crews remove debris and complete construction.
A crowd of about 200 people gathered Wednesday evening at the Summerset at Frick Park residential development for a front-row view of the bridge demolition. Some stood on a stone wall for a better view.
The crowds assembled around the construction site dispersed as the news spread by word of mouth.
“It’s a bummer, but I came over here because I had so much fun getting together with people for Big Boy this past weekend,” said Robert Malys, who had been playing the ukulele. “I had to practice anyway, but it’s somewhere to practice in public a little.”
Malys, who lives in nearby Swisshelm Park, said he appreciated that PennDOT was prioritizing safety, even if it took extra time.
“I understand it’s disruptive, but the bridge needs replaced,” he said. “It’s just fun being out here — it’s hype. Hopefully, I’m back tomorrow.”
Ben Lyons, who walked from Greenfield to view the blast, shrugged his shoulders when he heard the bad news.
“It’s a nice walk either way,” he said.
Lyons wasn’t surprised that the demolition drew a large crowd.
“It’s Pittsburgh,” he said, pointing out that similar crowds formed on the Murray Avenue Bridge when the Squirrel Hill Tunnel closed on Friday.
Before the postponement, the atmosphere felt more like a neighborhood block party than a construction event. Families brought their children and pets, while groups of friends arrived carrying pizzas and coolers of beer. Lawn chairs lined the hillside as people in shorts and sunglasses settled in to wait for the explosion. Some spectators wore earplugs.
Merav Amos, from Squirrel Hill, brought her family for a picnic, complete with books, lawn chairs and glasses of wine.
Amos said she planned the trip when PennDOT released its expected demolition window, but realized then and there that there was one thing she had forgotten.
Amos lives near the Parkway East’s local detour route, and has had to deal with traffic increasing near her home since the bridge closed on Friday. She hoped watching the demolition live would provide a satisfying payoff.
“The last few days were very rough,” she said. “I want to see some action.”
From the Parkway East watch party. @AdamBabetskipic.twitter.com/CaNMvsmKRV
— Ben Schmitt (@bencschmitt) July 15, 2026
Jim Christy, of Robinson, parked in the South Side and made the journey over on his bike to watch the explosion.
Christy frequently bikes through the Frick Park trails — some of which were restricted on Wednesday ahead of the demolition.
“It better go off without a hitch,” he said.
It didn’t.
Some of the crowd at Summerset were observing in a more official capacity, including David Shaw, global public relations manager for Mammoet — the Dutch company tasked with moving the new bridge into place via a greased rail system.
“Every project has its challenges, of course, but when you’re moving 10,000 tons of bridge, that’s not something that you do every day,” Shaw said.
Mammoet has around a dozen workers on site, but the company’s work on the bridge was a wide-scaling effort, Shaw said.
“There will be probably hundreds of people who have touched this project at some point from an engineering point of view,” he said.
When the bridge is demolished, PennDOT’s contractors will plant 9,250 trees and shrubs once the bridge is open, including over a dozen native species like white fir, elderberry and American holly. The former vegetation was struggling with vines and invasive species, so starting fresh may come with a silver lining.
There will be a variety of mature bare-root trees and burlap-wrapped saplings to help the reforested area blend in.
The city’s Forestry Division is also taking the opportunity to create a trail through the reforested area that connects with Frick Park’s existing trail system.
PennDOT has urged motorists to use posted detours or public transit whenever possible. Traffic restrictions remain in place as crews continue work at the site.