Brighton Rd over Spruce Run - Bridges and Tunnels of Allegheny County and Pittsburgh, PA

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OFFICIAL NAME:

OTHER DESIGNATION:
Brighton Rd over Spruce Run
emsw578-15

LOCATION:
Ben Avon

USGS 7.5" Topo Quad - UTM Coordinates:
Emsworth - Zone 17; 0578 4483

CARRIES:
Brighton Rd

BETWEEN:
-- at Spruce Run Rd
-- Dickson Av

CROSSES:
-- Spruce Run

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 semi-circular arch

LENGTH OF MAIN SPAN:
17 ft

TOTAL LENGTH (including longest elevated ramp):
ft

HEIGHT OF DECK:

YEAR ERECTED / ENGINEER:
1896, Allegheny County
Charles Davis, engineer

ADDITIONAL INFO:
During years surrounding 1900, Allegheny County, under the direction of County Engineer Charles Davis, was busy throughout the county building stone arch bridges of a simple and similar design. The parapet walls of this bridge are more rectangular than others designed by Davis.

Owing to the path Brighton Rd takes in crossing the deep and narrow ravine of Spruce Run, combined with the intersection with Spruce Run Rd, the abutments and parapets of this structure are so curved as to form a near-180 degree turn.

A carved stone builder's plaque is mounted on the inside center of the upstream parapet:

BUILT BY ALLEGHENY COUNTY, 1896
JAMES G. WIER,
J.C. MERCER,
D.J. BOYLE,   COMMISSIONERS

JAMES A. GRIER,   CONTROLLER

CHARLES DAVIS,   ENGINEER
- - - - - -
CHARLES M. DRIVER,   BUILDER

Allegheny County assigns its bridges with an ID number counting from a stream's outflow, sequentially upstream. A number one is painted on the carved stone builder plaque indicating this as the first bridge upstream from the point where Spruce Run flows into the Ohio River (Spruce Run Number 1). The are two other bridges downstream -- neither owned by the County (Spruce Run Rd and the railroad crossing Spruce Run).

Brighton Rd was bypassed with the opening of Ohio River Boulevard in 1931. The boulevard crosses high above the Spruce Run Ravine on a open-spandrel concrete arch bridge.

FIELD CHECKED:
11-April-2003

INFO SOURCES:

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Introduction -- Nearby Structures

Page created:
Last modified: 05-Nov-2003

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