Donora–Monessen Bridge Explained

Bridge Name:Donora–Monessen Bridge
Official Name:Stan Musial Bridge
Carries:4 divided lanes of SR 1077
Crosses:Monongahela River
Design:Truss bridge
Material:steel
Pierswater:2
Mainspan:680.2feethttp://nationalbridges.com/nbi_record.php?StateCode=42&struct=621077002000000
Length:2141.1feet
Width:75.5feet
Open:1972
Coordinates:40.1625°N -79.8615°W

The Donora–Monessen Bridge, officially known as the Stan Musial Bridge, is a truss bridge that carries vehicles across the Monongahela River between Donora and Monessen in Pennsylvania, U.S.A. The bridge was built in 1972, as part of a 1960s-era project to increase access to the industrial Monongahela Valley through a semi-freeway connection to Interstate 70. However, the decline of the steel sector halted area road construction, and the entire project was not completed until 1989. The road was originally named for former State Engineer C. Vance DeiCas.[1]

In 2011, a bill was introduced in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to rename the structure for Baseball Hall of Fame member Stan Musial, a Donora native. Effective January 8, 2012, Musial's name adorned the bridge.[2]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: BridgeMapper. https://web.archive.org/web/20120315001113/http://www.bridgemapper.com/bridge_detail.php?ID=2088. 2012-03-15.
  2. Web site: Senate Passes Bill Naming Local Bridge for 'Stan the Man' Musial . . 2011-05-24 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131103212120/http://www.senatorsolobay.com/senate-passes-bill-naming-local-bridge-for-%E2%80%98stan-the-man%E2%80%99-musial . 2013-11-03.