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photo of bridge

Elevation drawing looking downstream

photo of bridge

Receipt for passage, 1846


OFFICIAL NAME:
Allegheny River Bridge

OTHER DESIGNATION:
Sixth Street Bridge, St. Clair Street Bridge

LOCATION:
Pittsburgh

USGS 7.5" Topo Quad - UTM Coordinates:
Pittsburgh West - Zone 17; 0584 4477
CARRIED:
pedestrians and horse-drawn vehicles

BETWEEN:
-- Federal St [Franklin Rd] on right descending bank of Allegheny River
-- Sixth St [St. Clair St] on left descending bank of Allegheny River

CROSSED:
-- Allegheny River at mile 0.5
TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION / DESIGN:
wooden, Burr truss, covered

LENGTH OF MAIN SPAN:
four spans, 185 ft; one span, 170 ft; one span, 137 ft (HAER)

TOTAL LENGTH (including longest elevated ramp):
1,047 ft

HEIGHT OF DECK:
38 ft

YEAR ERECTED / ENGINEER:
1819, Louis Wernwag; replaced 1857
ADDITIONAL INFO:
The first bridge (1819) to cross the Allegheny River and the first of four which would connect Federal St to Sixth St was a Burr arch-truss. This bridge was built as part of the project which included the first span of the Monongahela River - - the first bridge at Smithfield St -- which was completed a year earlier. Both were designed by Louis Wernwag. It was built at a cost of $92,250. (Other sources report $80,000.)

The bridge was lighted by gas lamps December 8, 1837.

Sixth St was formerly St. Clair St in Pittsburgh; it aligns with Federal St (formerly Franklin Rd which connected to the Venango Path) in the former city of Allegheny (Northside).

view page - "Three Sisters" Bridges -- Historic American Engineering Record document

FIELD CHECKED:


INFO SOURCES:
Lorant, "Pittsburgh"; Van Trump "A Trinity of Bridges (HAER)"; Boucher "Pittsburg and her people"


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Introduction -- Nearby Structures


Page created:
Last modified: 10-Aug-2001

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