List of bridges of Pittsburgh
The bridges of Pittsburgh play an important role in the city's transportation system. Without bridges, the Pittsburgh region would be a series of fragmented valleys, hillsides, river plains, and isolated communities.
A 2006 study determined that, at the time, Pittsburgh had 446 bridges, though that number has been disputed. With its proximity to three major rivers and countless hills and ravines, Pittsburgh is known as "The City of Bridges".
History
Pittsburgh's first river bridges, made of wood and long since replaced, opened in 1818 at Smithfield Street and 1819 at Sixth Street. The city's oldest in-service bridge is the current Smithfield Street Bridge, which opened in 1883; it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976. Pittsburgh waged a massive road and bridge building campaign from 1924 to 1940; most of Pittsburgh's oldest major bridges date from this period. The coming of the Interstate Highway System triggered more construction in the second half of the twentieth century, as vehicular speed and throughput requirements increased. The result of more than 100 years of bridge building is a collection of most of the major types of bridge, mostly built from locally produced steel, including about forty river spans.Many of the bridges in the Downtown area are colored Aztec Gold, either constructed as such or painted afterward, to match the city's official colors of black and gold. A few old and out-of-service bridges, such as the Hot Metal Bridge, are exceptions to this rule.
Degrading bridge conditions
According to a 2011 study by Transportation for America, 1,194 bridges in the Pittsburgh area—or 30.4%—were deficient, the highest proportion in the nation.On February 8, 2008, the Birmingham Bridge suffered a failure of its rocker bearings, causing the deck to drop eight inches, prompting a closure of the bridge. The bridge was repaired and fully reopened on September 8, 2008.
On January 28, 2022, the Fern Hollow Bridge across Frick Park collapsed, forcing the closure of Forbes Avenue through the park. The bridge was covered with snow when it collapsed at 6:39 a.m. local time as it was being crossed by several cars and a bus. The bridge was rebuilt and reopened on December 22, 2022.
Major bridges
This table lists all bridges crossing the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers in the City of Pittsburgh limits. Other large or notable bridges are also included.[Monongahela River]
| Crossing | Carries | Image | Coordinates |
| Fort Pitt Bridge | |||
| Smithfield Street Bridge | Smithfield Street | ||
| Panhandle Bridge | Pittsburgh Regional Transit T Light Rail Line | ||
| Liberty Bridge | Connects Liberty Tunnel to Downtown Pittsburgh | ||
| South Tenth Street Bridge | South Tenth Street | ||
| Birmingham Bridge | Connects Fifth and Forbes avenues to East Carson Street | ||
| Hot Metal Bridge | Great Allegheny Passage/Three Rivers Heritage Trail, Hot Metal Street | ||
| Glenwood Bridge | 25px PA 885 | ||
| Glenwood B&O Railroad Bridge | Allegheny Valley Railroad | ||
| Homestead Grays Bridge | 25px Blue Belt |
[Allegheny River]
| Crossing | Carries | Image | Coordinates |
| Fort Duquesne Bridge | |||
| Roberto Clemente Bridge | 6th Street | ||
| Andy Warhol Bridge | 7th Street | ||
| Rachel Carson Bridge | 9th Street | ||
| Fort Wayne Railroad Bridge | Allegheny Valley Railroad, Capitol Limited, Norfolk Southern Railway Fort Wayne Line | ||
| Veterans Bridge | 25px Interstate 579 | ||
| David McCullough Bridge | 16th Street | ||
| Herr's Island Railroad Bridge ' | Three Rivers Heritage Trail | ||
| 30th Street Bridge ' | 30th Street | ||
| William Raymond Prom Memorial Bridge / 31st Street Bridge | 31st Street | ||
| 33rd Street Railroad Bridge | 33rd Street / Allegheny Valley Railroad P&W Subdivision | ||
| Washington Crossing Bridge / 40th Street Bridge | 40th Street | ||
| Senator Robert D. Fleming Bridge / 62nd Street Bridge | PA Route 8 / 62nd Street Bridge | ||
| Highland Park Bridge | Blue Belt / Highland Park Bridge | ||
| Brilliant Branch Railroad Bridge | Allegheny Valley Railroad Brilliant Branch / Brilliant Branch Railroad Bridge |
[Ohio River]
| Crossing | Carries | Image | Coordinates |
| McKees Rocks Bridge | SR 3104 / Blue Belt | ||
| Ohio Connecting Railroad Bridge | Norfolk Southern Railway Fort Wayne Line | ||
| West End Bridge | U.S. Route 19 |
Other bridges
This table lists some other major bridges within the City of Pittsburgh limits.| Bridge | Carries | Over | Image |
| Bloomfield Bridge | Liberty Avenue Bloomfleld Bridge - Pittsburgh | ||
| Brilliant Cutoff Viaduct | Silver Lake Drive | ||
| Charles Anderson Memorial Bridge | |||
| Commercial Street Bridge | Nine Mile Run, Commercial Street | ||
| Frazier Street Bridge | |||
| Greenfield Road / Beechwood Boulevard | Four Mile Run, 25px I-376 | ||
| Larimer Avenue Bridge | Larimer Avenue | 25px PA 8 | |
| Lincoln Avenue Bridge | Lincoln Avenue | 25px PA 8 | |
| Meadow Street Bridge | Meadow Street | Negley Run Boulevard | |
| Palm Garden Trestle | |||
| Panther Hollow Bridge | Panther Hollow Road | ||
| Schenley Bridge | Schenley Drive | ||
| Swinburne Bridge | Frazier Street | ||
| Swindell Bridge | North Charles Street / Essen Street | Interstate 279, East Street |