Fortieth Street Bridge
About this property
The Washington Crossing Bridge, commonly known as the Fortieth Street Bridge, is an arch bridge that carries vehicular traffic across the Allegheny River between the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Lawrenceville and the suburb of Millvale. The bridge is decorated with the seals representing the original 13 states of the United States and that of Allegheny County. Erected between 1919 and late 1924, and officially opened on December 29, 1924, the Washington Crossing Bridge was originally built to accommodate two lanes of traffic and one streetcar line. Its estimated cost upon completion was $2,344,000. A 1982 re-decking allowed for the creation of a reversible third automobile lane. The bridge received its name because it is located at a historically significant site pertaining to George Washington's military career. In 1753, then-Major Washington was dispatched to give French forces an ultimatum to negotiate for the return of the lands that today make up Western Pennsylvania to the British or to prepare for a military strike. Crossing the Allegheny on a wooden raft, Washington was nearly killed when his vessel overturned at this site. List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in Pennsylvania Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. PA-1179, "Washington Crossing Bridge, Fortieth Street, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, PA", 14 measured drawings Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. PA-447, "Washington Crossing Bridge"
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Fortieth Street Bridge
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Questions about this property
When was Fortieth Street Bridge listed on the National Register?
Fortieth Street Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 21, 1988.
What type of historic resource is Fortieth Street Bridge?
Fortieth Street Bridge is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Fortieth Street Bridge?
The period of significance for Fortieth Street Bridge is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Fortieth Street Bridge?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Fortieth Street Bridge will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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