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NEW: USGA Seeking Pennsylvania Grant Money for Oakmont Pedestrian Bridge
The United States Golf Association is seeking $5 million in grant money from the Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program to help towards building a new pedestrian bridge at Oakmont Country Club.
Oakmont recently hosted the 125th U.S. Open championship, was designated as an anchor site for the USGA, and is slated to host the the tournament again in 2033, 2042, and 2049.
The fabled cathedral of the game has hosted the U.S. Open a record ten times. The USGA says events like the U.S. Open bring more than $77 million in direct spending to the western Pennsylvania region.
When the U.S. Open was at Oakmont this past June, more than 230,000 spectators attended the tournament throughout the week of the championship.
The USGA says this number is expected to increase for future events and the existing infrastructure and course layout creates “bottlenecks” on the two bridges over the Pennsylvania Turnpike that are currently in place.
A packed house.
Fans at Oakmont Country Club on June 12th, 2025 work to make their way across a pedestrian bridge over the Pennsylvania Turnpike during the 125th U.S. Open Championship. pic.twitter.com/04ZqEibMrH
— Mike Darnay (@MikeDarnay) June 12, 2025
In the grant application filed with the RACP, the USGA says that with $5 million in grant money and additional $5.4 million in organization funds, a new bridge would be built that could separate vehicle traffic and construction traffic from spectator foot traffic during the U.S. Open and other events.
“A third bridge over the PA Turnpike has long been considered necessary to continue hosting future events at OCC,” the USGA said in its application. “Without it, the current challenges that USGA faces during the operation of its large events will be exasperated as interest and attendance continues to grow.”
“When we designated Oakmont as a U.S. Open anchor site, we made a commitment to invest and enhance the experience of everyone who visits,” said USGA spokesperson Julia Pine in a statement. “This grant will allow us to construct vital onsite infrastructure that will greatly improve the fan experience, increase accessibility and capacity, and ensure that future championships continue to deliver significant economic and tourism benefits to the region and to golf fans across the Commonwealth.”
The proposed bridge would be 350 feet long, 16 to 20 feet wide, and like the two existing bridges at Oakmont, it would also cross over the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
The USGA says that if the grant money from the state is approved and authorized, construction on the proposed bridge would begin in the summer of 2027 and would be completed by the following year.
