right
The Washington Crossing Bridge, commonly known as the Fortieth Street Bridge, is an
arch bridge
An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its structural load, loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either si ...
that carries vehicular traffic across the
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River ( ; ; ) is a tributary of the Ohio River that is located in western Pennsylvania and New York (state), New York in the United States. It runs from its headwaters just below the middle of Pennsylvania's northern border, nor ...
between the
Pittsburgh
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 ...
neighborhood of
Lawrenceville and the suburb of
Millvale. The bridge is decorated with the seals representing the original 13 states of the United States and that of
Allegheny County.
History
Erected between 1919 and late 1924, and officially opened on December 29, 1924, the Washington Crossing Bridge was originally built to accommodate two lanes of traffic and one streetcar line. Its estimated cost upon completion was $2,344,000.
A 1982 re-decking allowed for the creation of a reversible third automobile lane.
The bridge received its name because it is located at a historically significant site pertaining to
George Washington
George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
's military career.
Bridge Opening Today Honors Memory of Washington, Surveyor-President
" Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: ''The Pittsburgh Post'', December 29, 1924, p. 16 (subscription required). In 1753, then-Major Washington was dispatched to give French forces an ultimatum to negotiate for the return of the lands that today make up Western Pennsylvania to the British or to prepare for a military strike. Crossing the Allegheny on a wooden raft, Washington was nearly killed when his vessel overturned at this site.
See also
* List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in Pennsylvania
* List of crossings of the Allegheny River
References
External links
*
*
{{Pittsburgh Bridges
Bridges over the Allegheny River
Bridges in Pittsburgh
Bridges completed in 1924
Road bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
Historic American Buildings Survey in Pennsylvania
Historic American Engineering Record in Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation Historic Landmarks
National Register of Historic Places in Pittsburgh
Open-spandrel deck arch bridges in the United States
Steel bridges in the United States
Lawrenceville (Pittsburgh)
Historic district contributing properties in Pittsburgh
Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in Pennsylvania
1924 establishments in Pennsylvania