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"
