National Register of Historic Places

Ninth Street Bridge

Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Listed
January 7, 1986
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
86000019

About this property

The Rachel Carson Bridge, also known as the Ninth Street Bridge, spans the Allegheny River in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the naturalist and author Rachel Carson, a Pittsburgh native, it is one of three parallel bridges called the Three Sisters, the others being the Roberto Clemente Bridge and the Andy Warhol Bridge. The Three Sisters are self-anchored suspension bridges and are significant because they are the only trio of nearly identical bridges—as well as the first self-anchored suspension spans—built in the United States. All three bridges were built by the American Bridge Company. The total length of the Rachel Carson Bridge is 840 feet (260 m) including the 410-foot (120 m) main span and two 215-foot (66 m) side spans, or 995 feet (303 m) including the approaches. The total width of the deck is 62 feet (19 m), including the 38-foot (12 m) roadway plus two 10-foot (3.0 m) sidewalks outside the compressive plate girder. Whereas the roadway formerly carried two vehicle lanes and two streetcar tracks, it was changed to carry four wide vehicle lanes. The 2019-2020 refurbishment reduced the lanes to three.

Location

Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
40.44661, -79.99994

Categories

ENGINEERINGTRANSPORTATIONPOLITICS/GOVERNMENT
National Register nomination ›
Sources

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.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Penn-Liberty Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Listed
0 mi
Fulton Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Osterling, Frederick J., Office and Studio
Industrial
0.2 mi
Seventh Street Bridge
Industrial
0.2 mi
Phipps-McElveen Building
Industrial
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Fort Duquesne (Grant's Defeat) 1758
1758Colonial
0.3 mi
Capture of Fort Duquesne (Forbes Expedition) 1758
1758Colonial
0.3 mi
Pontiac's War – Siege of Fort Pitt 1763
1763Colonial
0.3 mi
Siege of Fort Pitt (construction/defense, 1759)
1759Colonial
0.4 mi
Capture of Fort Trent (Forks of Ohio)
1754Colonial
0.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Ninth Street Bridge listed on the National Register?

Ninth Street Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 7, 1986.

What type of historic resource is Ninth Street Bridge?

Ninth Street Bridge is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Ninth Street Bridge?

The period of significance for Ninth Street Bridge is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Ninth Street Bridge?

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