The Point Bridge was a steel

cantilever truss A cantilever bridge is a bridge built using structures that project horizontally into space, supported on only one end (called cantilevers). For small footbridges, the cantilevers may be simple beams; however, large cantilever bridges designed ...

bridge that spanned the

Monongahela River The Monongahela River ( , ), sometimes referred to locally as the Mon (), is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August 15, 2011 river on the Allegheny Plateau in nor ...

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

History

Point Bridge I

In 1877, a suspension bridge called the Point Bridge was built over the Monongahela River; it has been retroactively referred to as Point Bridge I by locals since being replaced by the second Point Bridge that is sometimes called "Point Bridge II."

Point Bridge II

The bridge was constructed from 1925 to 1927 and was opened to traffic on 20 June 1927. Dismantling of the old Point Bridge began that following August, and on October 9 the span was brought down into the Monongahela River by cutting the last cables holding it in place. The new Point Bridge was constructed by the Fort Pitt Bridge Works of

Canonsburg, Pennsylvania Canonsburg is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States, southwest of Pittsburgh. The population was 9,735 at the 2020 census. Canonsburg was laid out by Colonel John Canon in 1789 and incorporated in 180 ...

and was situated closer to the point than its Allegheny River counterpart, the Manchester Bridge. Its north end landed roughly where the plaza around the Point State Park

fountain A fountain, from the Latin "fons" ( genitive "fontis"), meaning source or spring, is a decorative reservoir used for discharging water. It is also a structure that jets water into the air for a decorative or dramatic effect. Fountains were o ...

begins, and its south end landed less than a tenth of a mile east of the

Duquesne Incline The Duquesne Incline ( ) is a funicular scaling Mount Washington near the South Side neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The lower station is in the Second Empire style. Together with the incline, which rises in height, ...

. The bridge passed over an elevated span above the Point to connect the two bridges. The Point Bridge II was closed to traffic on June 21, 1959, two days after the dedication and grand opening of the Fort Pitt Bridge. It remained standing until demolition began on April 15, 1970 and was completed that following November. The south landing remains, partly shrouded by trees, between West Station Square Drive and West Carson Street. In 2008, a headstone marking the duration of the bridge's construction was found abandoned on the hillside across from the old south landing; it is now on display at nearby Station Square.

Gallery

File:Original Point Bridge Pittsburgh.jpg, Original Point Bridge File:Point Bridge II Pittsburgh 1951.jpg, Pittsburgh Point Bridge II, looking north across the Monongahela River, 1951

References

External links