The bridges of Pittsburgh play an important role in the city's transportation system. Without bridges, the Pittsburgh region would be a series of fragmented valleys, hillsides, river plains, and isolated communities.
A 2006 study determined that, at the time, Pittsburgh had 446 bridges, though that number has been disputed. With its proximity to three major rivers and countless hills and ravines, Pittsburgh is known as "The City of Bridges".
History
Pittsburgh's first river bridges, made of wood and long since replaced, opened in 1818 at Smithfield Street and 1819 at Sixth Street (then St. Clair Street). The city's oldest in-service bridge is the current Smithfield Street Bridge, which opened in 1883; it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976. Pittsburgh waged a massive road and bridge building campaign from 1924 to 1940; most of Pittsburgh's oldest major bridges date from this period. The coming of the Interstate Highway System triggered more construction in the second half of the twentieth century, as vehicular speed and throughput requirements increased. The result of more than 100 years of bridge building is a collection of most of the major types of bridge (suspension, cantilever, arch, etc.), mostly built from locally produced steel, including about forty river spans.
Many of the bridges in the Downtown area are colored Aztec Gold, either constructed as such or painted afterward, to match the city's official colors of black and gold. A few old and out-of-service bridges, such as the Hot Metal Bridge (which stood dormant until reopening as a passenger bridge in the year 2000), are exceptions to this rule.
Degrading bridge conditions
According to a 2011 study by Transportation for America, 1,194 bridges in the Pittsburgh area—or 30.4%—were deficient, the highest proportion in the nation.
On February 8, 2008, the Birmingham Bridge suffered a failure of its rocker bearings, causing the deck to drop eight inches, prompting a closure of the bridge. The bridge was repaired and fully reopened on September 8, 2008.
On January 28, 2022, the Fern Hollow Bridge across Frick Park collapsed, forcing the closure of Forbes Avenue through the park. The bridge was covered with snow when it collapsed at 6:39 a.m. local time as it was being crossed by several cars and a bus. The bridge was rebuilt and reopened on December 22, 2022.
Major bridges This table lists all bridges crossing the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers in the City of Pittsburgh limits. Other large or notable bridges are also included.
Monongahela River
Crossing Carries Image CoordinatesFort Pitt BridgeSmithfield Street BridgeSmithfield StreetPanhandle BridgePittsburgh Regional Transit T Light Rail LineLiberty BridgeConnects Liberty Tunnel to Downtown PittsburghSouth Tenth Street BridgeSouth Tenth StreetBirmingham Bridge Connects Fifth and Forbes avenues to East Carson StreetHot Metal BridgeGreat Allegheny Passage/Three Rivers Heritage Trail, Hot Metal StreetGlenwood Bridge PA 885Glenwood B&O Railroad BridgeAllegheny Valley RailroadHomestead Grays Bridge (Homestead High Level Bridge) Blue Belt
Allegheny River
Crossing Carries Image CoordinatesFort Duquesne BridgeRoberto Clemente Bridge6th StreetAndy Warhol Bridge7th StreetRachel Carson Bridge9th StreetFort Wayne Railroad BridgeAllegheny Valley Railroad, Capitol Limited (Amtrak train), Norfolk Southern Railway Fort Wayne LineVeterans Bridge Interstate 579David McCullough Bridge16th StreetHerr's Island Railroad Bridge (West Penn Bridge)(rails removed, crosses back channel only)Three Rivers Heritage Trail30th Street Bridge (crosses back channel only)30th StreetWilliam Raymond Prom Memorial Bridge / 31st Street Bridge31st Street33rd Street Railroad Bridge33rd Street / Allegheny Valley Railroad P&W SubdivisionWashington Crossing Bridge / 40th Street Bridge40th StreetSenator Robert D. Fleming Bridge / 62nd Street BridgePA Route 8 / 62nd Street BridgeHighland Park BridgeBlue Belt / Highland Park BridgeBrilliant Branch Railroad BridgeAllegheny Valley Railroad Brilliant Branch / Brilliant Branch Railroad Bridge
Ohio River
Crossing Carries Image CoordinatesMcKees Rocks Bridge SR 3104 / Blue BeltOhio Connecting Railroad BridgeNorfolk Southern Railway Fort Wayne LineWest End Bridge U.S. Route 19
Other bridges This table lists some other major bridges within the City of Pittsburgh limits. Bridge Carries Over ImageBloomfield BridgeLiberty Avenue Bloomfleld Bridge - PittsburghBrilliant Cutoff ViaductSilver Lake DriveCharles Anderson Memorial BridgeCommercial Street BridgeNine Mile Run, Commercial Street|Fern Hollow BridgeFrazier Street BridgeGreenfield Road / Beechwood BoulevardFour Mile Run, I-376Larimer Avenue BridgeLarimer Avenue PA 8 (Washington Boulevard)Lincoln Avenue BridgeLincoln Avenue PA 8 (Washington Boulevard)Meadow Street BridgeMeadow StreetNegley Run BoulevardPalm Garden TrestlePanther Hollow BridgePanther Hollow RoadSchenley BridgeSchenley DriveSwinburne BridgeFrazier StreetSwindell BridgeNorth Charles Street / Essen StreetInterstate 279, East Street
See also
List of tunnels in Pittsburgh Crossings of the Ohio River in Pennsylvania Crossings of the Allegheny River in Pennsylvania Crossings of the Monongahela River in Pennsylvania
References
External links Bridges & Tunnels of Allegheny County and Pittsburgh, PA Allegheny County entry at Historic Bridges