Sewickley Bridge 1911 - Bridges and Tunnels of Allegheny County and Pittsburgh, PA

Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) photo, 1979

Builder's plate;
Finial in park;
Finial at train station;
New bridge on old pier

OFFICIAL NAME:
Allegheny County Bridge No. 1 Ohio River
Sewickley Bridge

OTHER DESIGNATION:
ambr568-14x

LOCATION:
Moon Twp - Sewickley

USGS 7.5" Topo Quad - UTM Coordinates:
Ambridge - Zone 17; 0568 4487

CARRIES:

BETWEEN:
-- Ohio River Blvd [PA65]
-- [PA51]

CROSSES:
-- Chadwick Av; NS RR [Conrail]
-- Ohio River at Mile 11.8
-- CSX RR [PLE RR]

TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION / DESIGN:
steel cantilever through truss

LENGTH OF MAIN SPAN:
724.0 ft est

TOTAL LENGTH (including longest elevated ramp):

HEIGHT OF DECK:

YEAR ERECTED / ENGINEER:
1911, County of Allegheny
J. G. Chalfant, county engineer
Fort Pitt Bridge Works, superstructure contractor
replaced 1981

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Of the four finials which once topped the bridge's highest points, one is in a park at Broad St and Walnut St in Sewickley, one is in the parking lot of the old Sewickley train station at Chadwick Av and Chestnut St, and one is at Station Square in Pittsburgh near the Smithfield St Bridge south approach. The fourth was placed at the Coraopolis Library on State St near School St.

In the park at Sewickley, a bronze keystone-shaped plaque from the bridge now rests on a marble base in front of one of the finials from the top of the old bridge. The text reads:

BRIDGE NO 1
OHIO RIVER

ERECTED BY
ALLEGHENY COUNTY
1909-11

------------------------------

I. K. CAMPBELL
J. D. O'NEIL
S. J. TOOLE
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

R. J. CUNNINGHAM
COUNTY CONTROLLER

J. G. CHALFANT
COUNTY ENGINEER

------------------------------

FORT PITT BRIDGE WORKS
PITTSBURG, PA.
CONTRACTOR SUPERSTRUCTURE

ADAM LAIDLAW & CO CONTRACTOR SUBSTRUCTURE

view page - 1911 Sewickley Bridge (HAER PA-53)

view page - More info on the 1981 Sewickley Bridge over the Ohio River

view page - Fieldnotes on the 1981 Sewickley Bridge over the Ohio River

view page - Pittsburgh Press article on the 1911 Sewickley Bridge over the Ohio River

view page - Coraopolis Record and the Sewickley Herald article on the 1981 Sewickley Bridge over the Ohio River

view page - Coraopolis Record and the Sewickley Herald article on the designer of the 1981 Sewickley Bridge over the Ohio River

FIELD CHECKED:

INFO SOURCES:
field check, HAER

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Introduction -- Nearby Structures

Page created: 30-Nov-2000
Last modified: 19-Feb-2009, 30-Nov-2000

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