Highland Park Bridge : History Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Highland Park Bridge

Bridge in Pittsburgh and Aspinwall

40°29′21″N 79°54′43″W / 40.4891°N 79.9120°W / 40.4891; -79.9120Carries4 lanes of trafficCrossesAllegheny RiverLocalePittsburgh and AspinwallCharacteristicsDesignTruss bridgeLongest span266 feet (81 m)Clearance below50 feet (15 m)HistoryDesignerSidney ShubinConstruction startNovember 6, 1937OpenedJune 22, 1939Location Map

The Highland Park Bridge is a truss bridge that carries vehicular traffic across the Allegheny River between the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Highland Park and the suburb of Aspinwall.

It replaced a much narrower 1902 streetcar bridge that was ill-equipped to handle heavy commuter traffic, as part of the process of suburbanization in the hills northeast of the city.

History

The bridge was designed by Sidney A. Shubin, chief bridge design engineer of Allegheny County, who also designed the South Tenth Street Bridge and Homestead High Level Bridge.^[1] Construction of the bridge began on November 6, 1937 and was completed in June 1939.^[2] The bridge cost $2.5 million to construct and was opened on June 22, 1939.^[3] Two workers were killed during the construction on October 14, 1938 when a 68-ton crane fell from the bridge.

References

^ "Sidney Shubin, veteran bridge designer, dies". The Pittsburgh Press. September 19, 1946. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
^ "HIGHLAND PARK BRIDGE TO OPEN". The Pittsburgh Press. June 4, 1939. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
^ "Commissioners open Highland Park Span". The Pittsburgh Press. June 21, 1939. Retrieved May 3, 2010.