Allegheny County Council President Pat Catena is sounding the alarm on a series of cracks found recently in the massive parking garage being built as part of Pittsburgh International Airport’s $1.5 billion modernization project.
The Allegheny County Airport Authority, which is managing the project, said it is aware of cracks in the concrete, but testing has shown no structural or safety issues, and a solution was already identified before Catena went public on Tuesday with his concerns.
Bob Kerlik, an authority spokesman, called Catena’s concerns “utterly unfounded” and said the cracks did not affect the structure’s structural integrity.
Catena, a Democrat from Carnegie, said multiple whistleblowers “who had access” to the 4,300-space garage shared their concerns with him about cracks found in the concrete deck. He declined to provide any more detail about who contacted him.
Catena said if the garage is already showing problems, he worries it will only get worse after it opens and is in use. He also said the cracks indicate the garage is being built with substandard quality.
Catena, who is a financial analyst, said three people emailed to tell him the cracks looked concerning. He identified one as a structural engineer and another is a college engineering professor, but declined to share their names.
“If this is how we move forward before this is even open, how long before these problems get worse?” Catena said. “In five years, is it still going to be structurally sound?”
‘No safety or structural concerns’
Kerlik said hairline cracks appeared as workers were preparing to apply a finishing coating on a portion of the garage. He said the cracks are “cosmetic” and have no impact on the structural integrity of the garage.
“We are aware of the issue raised today, which is not uncommon on large-scale projects,” Kerlik said Wednesday. “Our current analysis and testing confirm that the situation poses no safety or structural concerns, and we have already identified a solution – which the councilman would have known had he contacted us.”
Kerlik said Catena twice declined to tour the site in the last month.
Catena said he didn’t contact the authority ahead of time because the whistleblowers said they feared the authority would cover up the issue.
He said scheduling conflicts prohibited him from attending the site tours and that other council members who went said they saw the garage only from a distance.
Catena acknowledged that no county tax dollars were being used to fund the garage or the larger modernization project, but said any concerns about the garage, which will be used by thousands of people a day, should be addressed in the open.
“Any doubts or questions as to the safety of the new garage need to be resolved in a transparent fashion,” Catena said.
Written report sought
Catena also raised concerns about the work of Pittsburgh-based firm Michael Baker International and Rycon Construction, the subcontractor working on the garage. He claimed that Michael Baker instructed Rycon to apply a coating to the garage instead of fixing the alleged bigger problem.
Julia Covelli, a Michael Baker spokeswoman, said the Pittsburgh-based company is a full-service engineering and architecture firm and provided the initial design of the parking garage, but “has not done any construction onsite and does not have the authority to direct any construction contractor or subcontractor.”
Strip District-based Rycon did not respond to a request for comment.
The $200 million garage is part of a $1.5 billion modernization project that will expand security screenings, expedite transport around the airport, and push a new landside terminal directly up against an airside terminal, eliminating the need for the existing underground people mover train. The project is primarily funded through fees negotiated with the airlines, as well as partially from federal money from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Catena is calling on the airport authority to review the cracks. He wants the authority to provide a written report to council and Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato by Nov. 21.
An Innamorato spokeswoman declined comment and deferred to the airport authority.
The five-story garage, which will be one of the largest in Western Pennsylvania, remains under construction and will open when the full modernization project is complete sometime in 2025.