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.[1]
A 2006 study[2] determined that, at the time, Pittsburgh had 446 bridges, though that number has been disputed.[3] With its proximity to three major rivers and countless hills and ravines, Pittsburgh is known as "The City of Bridges".[4]
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.[5] 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,[6] 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.
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.[7] [8]
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.[9]
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.[10] The bridge was rebuilt and reopened on December 22, 2022.[11]
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.
See also: List of crossings of the Monongahela River.
| Crossing | Carries | Image | Coordinates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Pitt Bridge | 40.4388°N -80.0111°W | |||
| Smithfield Street Bridge | Smithfield Street | 40.4351°N -80.002°W | ||
| Panhandle Bridge | Pittsburgh Regional Transit T Light Rail Line | 40.4331°N -79.9981°W | ||
| Liberty Bridge | Connects Liberty Tunnel to Downtown Pittsburgh | 40.4328°N -79.9968°W | ||
| South Tenth Street Bridge | South Tenth Street | 40.4325°N -79.9892°W | ||
| Connects Fifth and Forbes avenues to East Carson Street | 40.4334°N -79.9735°W | |||
| Hot Metal Bridge | Great Allegheny Passage/Three Rivers Heritage Trail,Hot Metal Street | |||
| Glenwood Bridge | PA 885 | |||
| Glenwood B&O Railroad Bridge | Allegheny Valley Railroad | |||
| Homestead Grays Bridge (Homestead High Level Bridge) | Blue Belt |
| Crossing | Carries | Image | Coordinates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McKees Rocks Bridge | SR 3104 / Blue Belt | 40.4772°N -80.0483°W | ||
| Ohio Connecting Railroad Bridge | Norfolk Southern Railway Fort Wayne Line | 40.4628°N -80.0431°W | ||
| West End Bridge | U.S. Route 19 |
This table lists some other major bridges within the City of Pittsburgh limits.
| Bridge | Carries | Over | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomfield Bridge | Liberty Avenue Bloomfleld Bridge - Pittsburgh | |||
| Brilliant Cutoff Viaduct | Silver Lake Drive | |||
| Charles Anderson Memorial Bridge | ||||
| Commercial Street Bridge | Nine Mile Run, Commercial Street | |||
| Frazier Street Bridge | ||||
| Greenfield Road / Beechwood Boulevard | Four Mile Run, I-376 | |||
| Larimer Avenue Bridge | Larimer Avenue | PA 8 (Washington Boulevard) | ||
| Lincoln Avenue Bridge | Lincoln Avenue | PA 8 (Washington Boulevard) | ||
| Meadow Street Bridge | Meadow Street | Negley Run Boulevard | ||
| Palm Garden Trestle | ||||
| Panther Hollow Bridge | Panther Hollow Road | |||
| Schenley Bridge | Schenley Drive | |||
| Swinburne Bridge | Frazier Street | |||
| Swindell Bridge | North Charles Street / Essen Street | Interstate 279, East Street |