David McCullough Bridge explained

David McCullough Bridge
Other Name:Sixteenth Street Bridge
Coordinates:40.4517°N -79.9908°W
Locale:Allegheny, Pennsylvania, United States
Carries:16th Street
Crosses:Allegheny River
Id Type:NRHP #
Id:79002163
Length:1996m (6,549feet)
Width:41.3m (135.5feet)
Mainspan:437feet
Clearance Below:41.3feet
Architect:Warren and Wetmore, architects
Designer:H.G. Balcom, engineer
Extra:
Embed:yes
Added:August 13, 1979
Refnum:79002163[1]
Designated Other1:PHLF
Designated Other1 Date:2001[2]

The David McCullough Bridge, commonly and historically known as the 16th Street Bridge, is a steel trussed through arch bridge that spans the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The 16th Street Bridge replaced the Mechanics Street Bridge, completed at the behest of the State of Pennsylvania in 1838.[3] The 16th Street Bridge was constructed in 1922 with a length of and a width of . The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The 16th Street Bridge is one of the more popular bridges in the city of Pittsburgh and provides easy access to the Strip District and the North Shore.

Days after the disastrous St. Patrick's Day Flood of 1936, reports spread on March 20 that the bridge had collapsed from the pressure of the receding flood waters and debris, prompting Pittsburgh Police Chief Jacob Dorsey to close all city bridges for fear of receding waters and debris weakening or collapsing them. However, the reports were soon discovered to be false.[4]

On July 7, 2013, the structure was named in honor of historian, author, and commentator David McCullough, a Pittsburgh native, in a bridge ceremony sponsored by Heinz History Center.[5]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: NPS Focus . National Register of Historic Places . . November 6, 2011 . July 25, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080725123211/http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/ . dead .
  2. Book: Historic Landmark Plaques 1968-2009 . Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation . Pittsburgh, PA . 2010 . 2010-07-02.
  3. Web site: Mader. Nicole. Northern Liberties Bridge Company Ledger Finding Aid. University of Pittsburgh Archive Service Center. 28 February 2013.
  4. Web site: False Report of Bridge Collapsing Causes Panic in Pittsburgh -- 45 Dead. The Evening Independent Vol. 39, No. 118. 28 February 2013.
  5. Web site: June 26, 2013. David McCullough Bridge Dedication Ceremony & Celebrations Announced. 2021-01-31. www.alleghenycounty.us.