Library Rd over tributary of Piney Fork - Bridges and Tunnels of Allegheny County and Pittsburgh, PA

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OFFICIAL NAME:
Library Road Bridge No. 2 over Branch of Piney Fork Creek

OTHER DESIGNATION:
Library Rd over tributary of Piney Fork, north of Clifton Rd
brid582-26

LOCATION:
Bethel Park

USGS 7.5" Topo Quad - UTM Coordinates:
Bridgeville - Zone 17; 0582 4460

CARRIES:
-- Library Rd [PA88]

BETWEEN:
-- Clifton Rd [Orange Belt]
-- Berryman Av

CROSSES:
-- northern tributary of Piney Fork

TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION / DESIGN:
stone arch
locally-quarried sandstone
outer spandrel wall: rock-faced coursed ashlar
upper walls and parapets: dressed coursed ashlar
arch ring: dressed voussoirs in segmental arch

6 ft wide concrete sidewalk added to eastern side, outside of original structure

LENGTH OF MAIN SPAN:
16 ft

TOTAL LENGTH (including longest elevated ramp):
43.5 ft
22 ft wide, between parapets

HEIGHT OF DECK:

YEAR ERECTED / ENGINEER:
c1900, Allegheny County?

ADDITIONAL INFO:
This bridge exhibits the more common design features of the County's stone bridges -- parapets with rounded top and horizontal curves at the portals; Walter Kidney of PHLF compared the design to an earthworm. But its neighbor several hundred feet to the south on Library Road has upper courses of masonry which are more squared off compared to most other local stone arch bridges. This seems to indicate the bridges were built at different times. They are similar enough to presume they were built under the same designer or contractor. It has not been determined which was built first, and why the design would have changed.

After approximately one hundred years of service, the span appears to be in good shape. There are no weight limits and Library Road, PA 88, is heavily traveled. But being so narrow -- 22 feet between stone parapets -- would seem to endanger the structure's future on a busy state highway. There are numerous scars from past scrapes.

This bridge may be threatened with replacement. A 1997 PA Senate Bill (186 P.N. 445) lists an appropriation for $161,000 (Base Construction Allocation - $128,000); (Land Allocation - $20,000); (Design and Contingencies - $13,000).

from the South Park Township Public Library

The section of South Park Township known as Library was named because of the presence of a private library collection in the home of John Moore. Around 1833, John Moore began a fund to purchase books and subsequently became the first librarian of the new collection. Other members of the community added to the library, so that the number of volumes grew to about 2,000. This neighborhood group of library members formed a "Library Society". The last librarian in this era was Samuel Wilson, a blacksmith who stored the collection in his stable.

FIELD CHECKED:
28-Sep-2002

INFO SOURCES:
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Introduction -- Nearby Structures

Page created:
Last modified: 09-Oct-2002

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