By the 1860s “Pittsburgh was a rapidly expanding industrial
city with most of its factories and mills located along the river flats. In a
time when most people walked to work, homes quickly filled in the areas
surrounding these industries and the need for additional housing within a short
distance of their work caused people to begin living atop nearby Mount
Washington” (“Monongahela Incline”), a city that lacked good roads and proper
public transportation.&nbsp; German immigrants
relayed the idea of inclines that functioned in their home country.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Monongahela Incline was completed in 1870
for a total cost of $50,000 and finally provided the people in Mount Washington
with quick access to the city.&nbsp; Port Authority
took care and control of the incline in 1964 and it was dedicated as a historic
structure in 1970.&nbsp; The Monongahela
Incline serves over 1500 daily riders today.

Looking down from the top of the incline.

A crew working on one of the incline cars.

Station Square's site devoted to the Mon and Duquesne Inclines.

More Info

The Pittsburgh Port Authority's site on both the Mon and Duquesne Inclines.  

Website

Video

The Monongahela Incline, more commonly referred to by locals as the Mon Incline, is one of one of two remaining inclines in the Pittsburgh area, serving as one the city’s distinctive and recognizable features.  The incline, located near the Smithfield Street Bridge, is 635 feet long, 367.4 feet high, and has a 78% grade along with a breathtaking view of the Pittsburgh cityscape and the Monongahela River.  The Mon Incline “is the oldest continuously operating funicular railway in the U.S.” (“Monongahela Incline”).  It opened in 1870, but still operates today, taking several daily riders to and from the city as well as visitors on a historic sightseeing view of the city.  

Monongahela Incline

This unique tour of Pittsburgh shares one of the things that makes this city so unique- the many bridges over the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers as well as the historic Duquesne and Monongahela Inclines. The tour is a bit impractical for physical travel but offers a wonderful "virtual tour" of these distinguishing landmarks that makes Pittsburgh unique from other American cities.   

Pittsburgh: Driving Tour of Bridges and Inclines 

The desire
to connect Pittsburgh’s northern suburbs with its West End and southern suburbs,
via a bridge across the Ohio River, was first discussed well before the onset
of the Great Depression in 1912.&nbsp; Up
until the bridge’s completion, only a ferry served as a connector.&nbsp; The efforts were led by Henry Tranter, who
owned Tranter Manufacturing, a local machine shop.&nbsp; Tranter served on the Chamber of Commerce’s
Bridges and Highways Committee from 1915 until 1935.&nbsp; After World War I, the city embarked on numerous
large-scale infrastructure and transportation projects that included both the
Ohio and Allegheny River Boulevards, the Liberty Tunnel and Bridge, the McKees
Rocks Bridge, and various locks and dams to increase the depth of its shallow
three rivers.&nbsp; The design and
construction of the West End Bridge would be added to that list.

The Allegheny
County Commissioners approved its construction in 1929 and George S. Richardson’s
design was approved in September of 1930.&nbsp;
Richardson, who worked for the Allegheny Department of Public Works and
also designed the city’s Fort Pitt and Fort Duquesne Bridges in the 1950s, developed
a tied-arch design rarely used on a bridge of such length.&nbsp; In fact, the only other such tied-arch design
in America exists in the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge that spans the Delaware River in
eastern Pennsylvania.&nbsp; 

The city
contracted with the American Bridge Company to build its superstructure while
the Foundation Company of New York built its substructure, to include two large
concrete and granite piers near the north and south shores of the Ohio.&nbsp; Construction took just over two years, at a
cost of $3.6 million, and was completed in late 1932.&nbsp; Its grand opening was heralded by a celbratory
gala at the city’s Fort Pitt Hotel and was attended by local and state
governmental and business leaders.&nbsp; The
next day, December 2, 1932, Henry Tranter’s granddaughter, Mary Hershberger,
cut the ribbon officially opening the bridge.&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;

The bridge
has remained largely intact at its current location since that day, with
renovations of varying degrees occurring in 1948, 1955, 1958, 1977, 1980, 1991,
2002, and 2017.&nbsp; Its approaches have been
altered numerous times over the years, especially on the south shore of the
Ohio where its infamous West End Circle was removed early in the 21st
century.&nbsp; Currently, its main northern
approaches are Route 65 and Western Avenue while its southern ones are largely
comprised of Route 51 and Saw Mill Run Boulevards.&nbsp; The West End Bridge still offers one of the most
unique views of downtown Pittsburgh, looking straight onto the Point of its Golden
Triangle.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Pittsburgh’s West End Bridge has connected the city’s Chateau neighborhood of its North Side with its West End since 1932.  The “first bridge” on the Ohio River, it is located about a mile from Pittsburgh’s Point, where the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers converge to form the Ohio.  Its main 778-foot span is suspended from steel wire-ropes that hang from a massive bowstring through-arch.  At both its southern and northern approaches, pony or Warren trusses usher vehicles to the main span making the entire bridge over 1,200 feet in length.  The West End Bridge, like many of Pittsburgh’s bridges, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, an honor it achieved in 1979.

The West End Bridge

The Duquesne Incline is located in Pittsburgh and connects Mount Washington with Pittsburgh’s downtown area. The incline was designed by a Hungarian civil and mechanical engineer named Samuel Diescher (1). He was the primary designer of most of the inclined planes throughout the United States, although he primarily focused on building numerous inclines in the Pittsburgh and southwestern Pennsylvania regions. The Duquesne Incline cost $47,000 to build (2). Throughout its construction it had multiple delays and funding issues, nevertheless building of the incline was complete in 1877 and it opened for business on May 20, 1877. The incline, once completed, was 800 feet long and 400 feet high (3). Plus, it consisted of a 30-degree incline (2).&nbsp;The Duquesne Incline is considered to be one of the most notable inventions of the 19th century. The incline was originally powered by a steam engine (3). In addition, it was also made from iron and wood. It was able to hold up to 25 passengers per car. The cars travel parallel to each other. They were both connected by the same cable, so as one car went up the other went down. The Duquesne incline, as with many of the inclines located in Pittsburgh, was built to carry cargo up and down the steep face of Mount Washington (4). The Duquesne Incline out of 17 inclines that were once located in Pittsburgh, is only one out of two still in operation.&nbsp;The Duquesne Incline was built during a time when the city had very little infrastructure. Roads and cars were not accessible to everyone, and driving was not the most efficient means of travel.&nbsp;During the Industrial Revolution the city was rapidly expanding, which was one of the main reasons as to why the incline was originally built. The Industrial Revolution caused problems because there wasn’t much housing in place to accommodate the massive amounts of people swarming to Pittsburgh. People, during this time period, were unable to live outside of a short distance from the factories and their places of work. The Pittsburgh area faced a dilema because overcrowding was a problem throughout the city. Residents began to live up on Mount Washington, but they had to walk up and down hundreds of steps every day to commute to work. The Duquesne incline presented fast and affordable travel for the growing population of commuting workers. They charged five cents per trip to non-commuters (2). For commuters, they would pay one dollar to acquire a yellow commuter ticket. These tickets would be good for forty trips up and down the incline. This puts the average cost at two and a half cents per ride for commuters. This was considered a very cheap method of transportation that most workers could afford.&nbsp;Although the incline presented the residents of Mount Washington with an economical way to travel, the popularization of roads and cars severely impacted the incline. The incline faced funding troubles when the commuting population began to rely on cars and public transportation. Throughout its 85 years of constant operation, the Duquesne Incline, was shut down for repairs. This caused a closure during 1962 because with the loss in popularity, the owners were unable to pay for the updates and maintenance that was required after years of service (2). The residents were upset at the closing because it took away their transportation options that they once took for granted. The residents worked out a deal between the owners that stated if they raised enough money to repair the incline the owners would fix it, so it could return to working order. It was at this time that the residents of Mount Washington began raising money to pay for the repairs needed to keep the Duquesne Incline running. The community came together to form bake sales, as well as, door to door campaigning to raise the $15000 that was needed for the repairs (2). Even the Boy Scouts managed to produce and distribute flyers around the surrounding areas. With months of hard work and fundraising, the community finally reached the amount of money needed to make repairs. The Duquesne Incline reopened on July 1, 1963 (2). This allowed the incline to remain in business today.Around a year after the reopening of the Duquesne Incline, the Port Authority of Allegheny County purchased the incline from its original owners (3). The new owners threatened to shut down the incline for a second time, due to the fact that it was not generating enough revenue. In return to this, the Society for the Preservation of the Duquesne Heights Incline was formed by the residents (3). This society, to present day, has been responsible for the repairs and maintenance that the incline requires. They are also responsible for the day to day operations of the incline.&nbsp;The incline is still very relevant and significant to the city of Pittsburgh today because it is a large tourist attraction. Plus, for a small number of commuting Mount Washington residents, it still remains a form of transportation. In recent years, the incline has become more expensive at $2 per trip (2). The incline is also open every day, all year. Despite the drop in the number of riders, the Duquesne Incline transports over half a million people up and down the steep hillside every year.

The Duquesne Incline is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Pittsburgh. It opened for business on May 20, 1877 and began transporting workers to and from downtown Pittsburgh to Mount Washington daily. As roads and car became more popular the incline faced financial troubles. In the 1960s, the incline went out of business with no thought of returning. The residents of Mount Washington raised the amount of money that the owners needed to fix the structural and mechanical issues the incline was facing. The Duquesne Incline has remained open for business ever since.

Duquesne Incline

Station Square was originally a part of the Pittsburgh and
Lake Eire Railroad that was charted in 1873.&nbsp;
In 1877, a line connecting Pittsburgh to Youngstown was constructed, and
in 1899, the railroad opened up to commercial passengers.&nbsp; However, by 1970, railroad transportation had
significantly diminished due to the advancement of automobiles and the railroad
complex stood obsolete until 1976 when “the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks
Foundation developed the site as a mixed-use historic adaptive reuse
development that gave the foundation the opportunity to put its urban planning
principles into practice."1&nbsp;The 40-acre complex, including the terminal, freight station, warehouse,
express house, and other buildings were renovated and a hotel, parking, and the
Gateway Clipper/dock was added.&nbsp; The Pittsburgh
History and Landmarks Foundation sold the complex to Forest City Enterprises in
1994 and Station Square as is today truly began.&nbsp; In 2002, Forest City expanded the hotel and
constructed Bessemer Court.

Pittsburgh’s Station Square is a lively dining and entertainment district known for its restaurants and specialty shops. The historic building is home to treasured local restaurants such as The Gandy Dancer while the adjacent Freight House Shops are home to two dozen retail shops within former rail yard sheds and other restored railroad buildings that were once part of the Pittsburgh and Lake Eire Railroad.  Bessemer Court, the entertainment and nightlife hub of Station Square, was designed as a commemoration to the city’s steel industry.  Located here is the Hard Rock Café and other attractions, the fountains at Bessemer Court, and the docks for the Gateway Clipper, a riverboat that offers tours of the Pittsburgh waterfront.

Station Square, Pittsburgh

Two pervious
bridges once stood where the Smithfield Bridge now crosses the Mon.&nbsp; In 1818, Louis Wernwag built a wooden covered
toll bridge that was completely destroyed by Pittsburgh’s Great Fire of
1845.&nbsp; The next year, John Roebling,
prior to beginning designs for the Brooklyn Bridge, built a wire suspension
bridge where the wooden toll bridge once stood.&nbsp;
However, the ever-increasing size and frequency of the loads crossing over
it, as well as the larger boats on the Mon passing under it made Roebling’s
bridge obsolete and it was gradually torn down as the new bridge replaced it
beginning in 1880.

The
Monongahela Bridge Company then contracted with Lindenthal to design a new
bridge and construction began in 1881 while traffic still crossed Roebling’s
suspension bridge.&nbsp; Lindenthal designed a
double lenticular truss bridge, so named because the top and bottom chords
curve into each other which creates a profile similar to a convex lens or horizontal
cat’s pupil.&nbsp; The design transfers the
load from the bridge deck out to the ends of the trusses, which rest on solid
pylons or piers, in this instance, the same piers used by Roebling.&nbsp; Lindenthal’s bridge was an additional 20 feet
above the river and featured two cast-iron towers with wrought iron roofs at
each end when it opened in 1883.&nbsp;
Lindenthal designed three other bridges in the Pittsburgh area: the 30th
Street or Herr’s Island Bridge, the 7th Street or Andy Warhol
Bridge, and the Youghiogheny River Bridge at McKeesport.

In 1861 a
second bridge was built across the Mon (the South 10th Street
Bridge) and due to that fact, Lindenthal’s bridge was eventually referred to as
the Smithfield Street Bridge.&nbsp; The bridge
has gone through numerous alterations and renovations over the years.&nbsp; A third truss to widen the bridge was
temporarily added in 1891 and then removed in 1911 as the span was gradually
widened from its original 23 feet to 48 feet.&nbsp;
The city purchased the bridge in 1895 which opened it to the public free
from tolls.&nbsp; It underwent a major
renovation in 1911 as two lanes were dedicated for street cars and two for
vehicles.&nbsp; Its original portals were also
removed to be replaced in 1915, and its original color scheme was replaced with
a solid, greyish-silver tone which remained until 1995.

The bridge
deck was replaced with lighter aluminum in 1933 and again in 1967 and street
cars stopped using the bridge in 1985.&nbsp;
By 1993, the weakening structure had a weight limit of only three tons
and buses had to be re-routed.&nbsp; The
bridge was closed in 1994 for about a year, when the street car lines were removed, most of its
metal frame was either replaced or repaired, additional structural supports
were added and its original three-color scheme was restored.&nbsp; These renovations increased its weight
capacity from three to 23 tons.&nbsp; Today,
the Smithfield Street Bridge is as popular to stroll across as it is to drive
and remains a shining jewel among Pittsburgh bridges.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Even in the “City of Bridges,” the Smithfield Street Bridge is in a class of its own.  Spanning the Monongahela River and connecting downtown Pittsburgh with Station Square, what makes the bridge unique is its longevity and design.  The double lenticular truss bridge was completed in 1883 and was designed by the Austrian born Gustav Lindenthal who also designed New York City’s Hell Gate Bridge.  It is Pittsburgh’s oldest river bridge, attained National Historic Civic Engineering Landmark status in 1976, was designated a National Historic Landmark the same year, and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1974.   

Smithfield Street Bridge

Prior to the
construction of the Roberto Clemente Bridge, three other bridges crossed the
Allegheny River at the same spot.&nbsp; The
first was a covered, wooden toll bridge that was designed by Louis Wernwag and
built in 1819.&nbsp; It was known as the St.
Clair Bridge as that was what 6th Street was referred to back
then.&nbsp; Forty years later it was replaced
with a John Roebling designed wire suspension bridge in 1859.&nbsp; The designer of the Brooklyn Bridge built
three bridges in Pittsburgh, with this one being his last.&nbsp; By 1892 it had become obsolete as it was too
low to the water’s surface and could not safely handle the increasing weight of
the traffic crossing upon it, to include the new electric street trolleys.&nbsp; Subsequently, it was replaced the same year.

The third
bridge at this location was a Theodore Cooper designed through truss bridge
built by the Union Bridge Company.&nbsp; This
bridge was renamed the 6th Street Bridge in 1908 when Allegheny City
was annexed and incorporated into the city of Pittsburgh.&nbsp; When this bridge was dismantled in 1927, its
main span was lowered onto barges and floated down the Allegheny and Ohio Rivers
to bridge the gap between the nearby Neville Island and the town of Coraopolis
where it remained until 1994.&nbsp; 

The American
Bridge Company of New York was then tasked with building a new span in
1927-28.&nbsp; They came up with a unique
design due to the fact that the city desired a suspension bridge but the site
did not allow for the usual land-based anchorages for the bridge’s wires.&nbsp; Instead, they built two, 78-foot towers and
replaced the typical suspension wires with an eye-bar chain and then suspended
the bridge deck with additional, vertical eye-bars.&nbsp; It went through a major renovation in 1995
and when the Pirates’ sold the naming rights to their new ball park to PNC
Bank, rather than name it after Clemente, the bridge was renamed after the
famous Pirate in a compromise gesture in 1998.&nbsp; The bridge is closed to vehicular traffic during weekend (Fri-Sun) Pirates' and Steelers' home games.

Roberto
Clemente was much more than a baseball great that played for 18 seasons and
collected exactly 3,000 hits.&nbsp; He was a
gracious representative of the game who was proud of his Latin American
heritage.&nbsp; He was also involved in
numerous local and international charities to which he devoted both time and
money.&nbsp; He tragically died on New Year’s Eve,
1972 when the plane he was escorting to deliver relief supplies to earthquake
victims in Nicaragua crashed into the sea just after take-off.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Built in 1928 and formerly known as the 6th Street Bridge, the span’s name was changed to honor Pittsburgh Pirates hall of famer, Roberto Clemente, in 1998.  It bridges the Allegheny River and connects the downtown’s 6th Street to the North Shore’s Federal Street just to the east of PNC Park.  The Clemente Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 primarily for its unique, self-anchored eye-bar suspension design.  It is also one of a trio of nearly identical Pittsburgh bridges known as the “Three Sisters,” the other two being the Andy Warhol and Rachel Carson Bridges, both of which sit just upriver from the Clemente Bridge. 

Roberto Clemente Bridge

The Warhol
Bridge is the second to cross the Allegheny at this site.&nbsp; The first was designed by famed bridge engineer,
Gustav Lindenthal three years after the completion of the nearby Smithfield
Street Bridge which he also designed.&nbsp;
Known as the Irwin Street Bridge, as that was the name of the future 7th
Street, it was completed in 1904.&nbsp; However,
this two-span, traditional suspension bridge was deemed obsolete by the War
Department shortly after the conclusion of World War I.&nbsp; The War Department sought to keep the rivers
around Pittsburgh open to larger vessels, especially considering the war
materials coming out of the Steel City at that time and Lindenthal’s Bridge was
considered too low to the river and too narrow to meet their needs.&nbsp; As a result, construction on a new bridge,
that sat higher above the river, began in 1925.

The city
contracted with the American Bridge Company of New York to build all three
bridges with the Warhol Bridge being designed by Chief Engineer Vernon Covell
and architect Stanley Roush.&nbsp; The
designers developed the bridge’s unusual design due to the fact that the ground
along the Allegheny was too unstable to secure shore anchorages required for a
normal suspension bridge.&nbsp; Consequently,
they decided to utilize a self-anchored suspension bridge whereby the cables, or eye-bars in this case,
would be anchored to the stiffening girder within the bridge deck.&nbsp; Another unique aspect was that the bridge
would be constructed using a cantilever system, making it the first self-anchored
suspension bridge on the globe so constructed.&nbsp;


In order to
more easily facilitate the self-anchoring system, the designers decided to use
eye-bar chains or catenaries which consisted of eight or nine parallel eye-bars
connected with massive pins and anchored at the top of each of its 83-foot
towers.&nbsp; They then suspended the bridge
deck from additional, vertical eye-bars that hang from the catenaries.&nbsp; It was originally painted green and grey, but
that color scheme was changed to Aztec gold in 1975 when the city adopted Black
and gold as the official colors.&nbsp; 

The bridge’s
name was changed in 2005, on the tenth anniversary of the Andy Warhol Museum
which is located on Pittsburgh’s North Shore.&nbsp;
The son of a coal miner from Slovakia, Warhol was born in the Oakland
neighborhood of Pittsburgh in 1928.&nbsp; A
sickly child, he spent much of his time indoors, drawing and writing.&nbsp; He graduated from Oakland’s Schenley High School
and, later, from the Carnegie Institute of Technology with a degree in Fine
Arts and then moved to New York City where he became one of the best known
modern artists in the country.&nbsp; After his
death, he was buried next to his parents back in Pittsburgh in 1987.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

One of Pittsburgh’s “Three Sisters” (a trio of nearly identical bridges), the Andy Warhol Bridge was, until 2005, known as the 7th Street Bridge.  The first of the Three Sisters to open, in 1926, it, like its counterparts, is a unique self-anchored suspension bridge, the first built in the United States.  It sits between the Roberto Clemente and Rachel Carson Bridges and spans the Allegheny River connecting downtown’s 7th Street with the North Shore’s Sandusky Street.  Due to its unique design and longevity, the Andy Warhol Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986, along with its two “sisters.”

Andy Warhol Bridge

The Three Sisters Bridges, located over the Alleghany river connecting downtown Pittsburgh and the North Side, are the only three identical bridges in the United States. Built by the American Bridge Company in the 1920s, the bridges have a unique and complex design made from steel. They are constructed using large steel eye-bar suspension systems to hold the compressive forces of the bridges. In 2008, planning for multiple rehabilitations of the bridges began. By 2014, engineering started on the three “Aztec gold” bridges, costing nearly $25 million per bridge.

The Robert Clemente Bridge was completed in 1928 and is located on Sixth Street. The year it was established, it was voted the Most Beautiful Steel Bridge by the American Institute of Steel Construction. The bridge is nearest to Point State Park and the PNC Park. On Pirates game day, the bridge is closed so that fans can flood the bridge to walk over to the park. Over the years, couples have placed “love locks” on the panels of the bridge as a public display of their love.

Located on Seventh Street, the Andy Warhol Bridge was completed in 1926. This bridge is dedicated to the famous artist, Andy Warhol. He lived in Pittsburgh most of his life but traveled to New York to pursue his dreams. Warhol was an iconic Pop artist in the 1960s, creating many paintings related to advertisement. A well-known painting of his is Campbell’s Soup Cans created in 1962. This bridge is the middle of the Sisters Bridges and runs near the Andy Warhol Museum.

The Rachel Carson Bridge was completed in 1926 and is located on Ninth Street. Rachel Carson was a marine biologist, author, and environmentalist who grew up in Springdale, Pennsylvania. The bridge runs near her Springdale home. Environmentalists Andrea Polli and Rod Gdovic collaborated on a project they called Energy Flow to display onto the Rachel Carson Bridge. The project is a temporary light display powered by light and wind. Generated by sixteen wind turbines, over 27,000 multicolored LED lights on cables are displayed from the bridge after dark each night throughout the holiday season.

The people of Pittsburgh see the Three Sisters Bridges as a vital aspect of the city’s beauty and history. Built between 1924 and 1928, the three bridges are similarly designed and side-by-side which make them unique compared to other bridges in the United States. The Three Sisters Bridges are named after an athlete, an artist, and an environmentalist. 

Three Sisters Bridges

The first
bridge that crossed the Allegheny River where the Carson Bridge now stands was a
wooden, covered toll bridge that was built in 1839 and designed by Sylvanus
Lothrop.&nbsp; This toll bridge, known as the
Hand Street Bridge, was designed for pedestrian and carriage traffic and was
replaced in 1890 due to its inability to handle the weight of the newly arrived
electric trollies.&nbsp; This second bridge
was a steel Pratt through truss bridge designed by George Ferris (of Ferris
wheel fame) and Gustave Kaufman.&nbsp; 

Shortly
after World War I, the War Department established new guidelines for the nation’s
bridges in terms of weight capacity, width and height.&nbsp; It did so to ensure that bridges deemed vital
could handle the weight of military hardware and that they were high enough to
permit passage of necessary supplies on the waterways below.&nbsp; In order to meet those requirements,
Pittsburgh’s 6th, 7th and 9th Street Bridges
all had to be replaced and the American Bridge Company of New York was tasked
with designing both functional and aesthetically pleasing structures.

Their engineers,
inspired by a German bridge over the Rhine River in Cologne, developed a unique
design and construction method due to the unstable soil along the Allegheny
River.&nbsp; Typical suspension bridges drape
massive cables on large towers and anchor them to the shore with huge concrete
structures.&nbsp; However, this option was
unavailable to the designers of the Three Sisters.&nbsp; As a result, they used a self-anchoring
system and utilized eye-bars rather than steel cables to hang the bridge deck.&nbsp; These eye-bar chains also drape over the
bridge’s towers.&nbsp; However, they are not
anchored to the shore, but to the bridge deck’s stiffening girder.&nbsp; The designers then hung the bridge deck on
eye-bars of varying lengths that are tied to the bridge’s catenaries or eye-bar
chains.

The bridge
was renamed to honor Rachel Carson primarily due to the lobbying efforts of
Esther Barazzone, the then President of Chatham University, Carson’s alma
mater.&nbsp; Carson, who penned numerous
books, to include 1962’s Silent Spring which is credited with initiating
the modern environmental movement, was born 15 miles upriver from the bridge that
now bears her name, in the Pittsburgh suburb of Springdale.&nbsp; She grew up on the family’s 65-acre farm, now
the Rachel Carson Homestead, and graduated from the Pennsylvania College for Women
with a degree in biology.&nbsp; She then
worked for the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries while also writing.&nbsp; She was posthumously awarded the Presidential
Medal of Freedom by President Carter in 1980, 16 years after her death.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Named for author and environmentalist Rachel Carson, the bridge that now bears her name was completed in 1926 and originally known as the 9th Street Bridge.  It was renamed to honor Carson on Earth Day, 2006.  The Carson Bridge is one of a trio of bridges known as the “Three Sisters” due to their proximity to one another and similarity of design.  The other two, located just downriver, are the Andy Warhol and Roberto Clemente Bridges.  The Carson Bridge, like the other two, is a self-anchored suspension bridge that connects Pittsburgh’s downtown with its North Shore.  The “Three Sisters” were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

Rachel Carson Bridge

The first
bridge on the site was the Mechanics Bridge, which was a covered, wooden
structure that was completed in 1837 and was destroyed by fire in 1851.&nbsp; An open bridge was then built on the existing
piers in 1854 for pedestrians and horse-drawn vehicles.&nbsp; This span was partially destroyed by a flood
in 1865 and rebuilt as a toll bridge.&nbsp;
Allegheny County later purchased the bridge in 1911 and eliminated the
toll.&nbsp; However, this bridge was also
destroyed by fire in 1918.&nbsp; 

The city
then contracted with Warren and Wetmore in order to design a new bridge in
conjunction with the Pittsburgh Art Commission.&nbsp;
The city sought a bridge that was “…beautiful as well as ornamental.” In
other words, the city was of the belief that form and function should receive
equal attention.&nbsp; To that end, the
architectural firm, using the old piers, created a through-arch bridge that
utilized a Warren truss design on its three arches.&nbsp; The bridge is 1,900 feet long, with its main
span measuring 437 feet.&nbsp; 

They also
designed four massive stone towers, two at each end, that serve as portals and soar
62 feet above the bridge deck.&nbsp; Pedestrians
crossing the span walk through arched openings in each tower that include
carvings of what are thought to be Poseidon (or perhaps Neptune) and his
wife.&nbsp; &nbsp;Atop each tower is a bronze sculpture designed
by Italian-born sculptor, Leo Lentelli.&nbsp;
Each sculpture features four winged seahorses (more Pegasus-like than an
actual seahorse) and an armillary sphere encircled by the signs of the
zodiac.&nbsp; Two of the sculptures still
retain their oxidized green coloring while two became Black in color after the oxidization
had been removed and they were coated with lacquer in 1978.&nbsp; 

The bridge
underwent extensive renovations when it was closed for six months in 1981 when
a new deck and expansion dams were installed.&nbsp;
It was then closed for a year in 2002-2003 when it underwent a $9.8
million overhaul.&nbsp; The renovations
included the replacement or repair of much of its structural steel, abrasive
blasting, and a new, yellow coat of paint.&nbsp;
In July of 2013, on David McCullough’s 80th birthday, the
bridge was renamed to honor the man who was born and raised in the Point Breeze
neighborhood of Pittsburgh.&nbsp; The Yale
graduate has written such works as The Johnstown Flood in 1968 and The
Great Bridge, about the design and construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, in
1972.&nbsp; He won the Pulitzer Prize for both
Truman and John Adams. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Named after the Pittsburgh-born, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, historian and lecturer, David McCullough, the former 16th Street Bridge was completed in 1923.  It was renamed to honor McCullough in 2013.  The McCullough Bridge spans the Allegheny River and connects Pittsburgh’s Strip District with its North Shore.  The bridge is a three-span, through arch bridge that was designed by the New York architectural firm of Warren and Wetmore and the lead engineer was Homer Gage Balcom who also designed the Empire State Building.  The bridge has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979.

David McCullough Bridge

The &nbsp;40th Street Bridge is often referred to as the "Washington Crossing Bridge" owing to a decision of a&nbsp;young&nbsp;Major George Washington,&nbsp;who was on his first diplomatic mission from Governor Dinwiddie of the British Crown colony of Virginia. Washington was sent to the area to pass on a message to&nbsp;French forces, suggesting that they&nbsp;negotiate for the return of the lands that today make up Western Pennsylvania or face military action from the British.&nbsp; While crossing the Allegheny River&nbsp;on a raft, Washington was thrown into the water when the pole he was using to&nbsp;guide the raft was hit by a chunk of ice. Unable to reach either shore, he and his guide, Christopher Gist, abandoned the raft and landed on an island near mid-stream. This island, was known as Wainwright's, McCollough's or "Good Liquor" Island, has long since disappeared. Although it no longer exists, it may have saved Washington's life&nbsp;on December 29, 1753. After Washington returned from his expedition to the French commander at Fort Le Boeuf, and he gave&nbsp;his report to Governor Dinwiddie, the House of Burgesses of Virginia made a grant of 10,000 pounds to protect the frontier. Washington, who had been stationed at Alexandria, to enlist recruits, received his commission as a&nbsp;lieutenant-colonel along with&nbsp;orders from Governor Dinwiddie, to take&nbsp;150 men and take command at the forks of the Ohio, to finish the fort already started there by the Ohio company and to make prisoners, kill or destroy, anyone who&nbsp;interrupted the English settlements. Officers and men were promised 200,000 acres of land on the Ohio, as a special incentive. Because of this&nbsp;historically significant site&nbsp;"Washington Crossing" was the name selected for this bridge&nbsp;This name was submitted with many others to the county commissioners, William H. Stevenson, chairman of the Pennsylvania Historical Commission,&nbsp;Pittsburgh is proud of its connection with the early career of Washington, who later commanded the armies of the colonies in the successful struggle for independence. Mounted on the wall below the southwest obelisk, a plaque reads: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;GEORGE WASHINGTON &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;A messenger from the Governor of Virginia to the &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; commandant of the French forces on the Ohio &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;and CHRISTOPHER GIST, his guide &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;crossed the Allegheny at this point &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;on December 29, 1753 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;on the return journey from Fort LeBoeuf. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Placed by the Pittsburgh Chapter &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Daughters of the American Revolution &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 1926

Washington Crossing Bridge, also known as the 40th Street Bridge, crosses the Allegheny River and connects the neighborhood of Lawrenceville with the suburb of Millvale. The bridge was built between 1919 and 1924 at a cost of $2,344,904. At the time of construction, this bridge was built to handle two lanes of traffic plus a street car line. In 1982, the city removed the street car line and added a reversible third vehicle lane. 

Pittsburgh: Driving Tour of Bridges and Inclines

Monongahela Incline

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information