Boston Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Boston Bridge is a structure that crosses the Youghiogheny River
between Versailles
and Elizabeth Township
, Pennsylvania
. Its name is derived not from the Massachusetts city, but rather from an eponymous neighborhood in Elizabeth Township.
The bridge, which opened in 1931, carries Pennsylvania Route 48
on two relatively narrow lanes. Many of its features were carefully preserved during a 1989 rehabilitation, down to its original pedestrian railings. Designed entirely for vehicular traffic, the structure changed the future of Elizabeth Township; the lack of streetcar tracks led to the adandonment of a line that served the then-rural community's small industrial settlements, while the newfound ease of access for motorists to the area's manufacturing regions opened up the township to suburbanization
.
Youghiogheny River
The Youghiogheny River , or the Yough for short, is a tributary of the Monongahela River in the U.S. states of West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania...
between Versailles
Versailles, Pennsylvania
Versailles is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,515 at the 2010 census. Despite being named after the extraordinary Palace of Versailles, the name of the borough is almost universally pronounced ver-sales by residents of the area.-Geography:Versailles...
and Elizabeth Township
Elizabeth Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Elizabeth Township is a township in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 13,271 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.96%, is water.-Demographics:As of the census of...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. Its name is derived not from the Massachusetts city, but rather from an eponymous neighborhood in Elizabeth Township.
The bridge, which opened in 1931, carries Pennsylvania Route 48
Pennsylvania Route 48
Pennsylvania Route 48 is long state highway located in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. The route is predominantly a two-lane highway as it runs through McKeesport and other suburbs. The entire routing of PA 48 is part of the Orange Belt, both reaching their southern terminus at Pennsylvania...
on two relatively narrow lanes. Many of its features were carefully preserved during a 1989 rehabilitation, down to its original pedestrian railings. Designed entirely for vehicular traffic, the structure changed the future of Elizabeth Township; the lack of streetcar tracks led to the adandonment of a line that served the then-rural community's small industrial settlements, while the newfound ease of access for motorists to the area's manufacturing regions opened up the township to suburbanization
Suburbanization
Suburbanization a term used to describe the growth of areas on the fringes of major cities. It is one of the many causes of the increase in urban sprawl. Many residents of metropolitan regions work within the central urban area, choosing instead to live in satellite communities called suburbs...
.