Herr's Island Railroad Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Herr's Island Railroad Bridge, also known as the West Penn Railroad Bridge, is a truss bridge
across the Allegheny River
between the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Troy Hill
and Herrs Island (commonly referred to as Washington's Landing).
, becoming the Western Penn branch. The bridge was strengthened and raised later in the same year to match the raised land level on the island.
Between 1970 and 1990 the brick viaduct and three plate girder spans were removed. In 1999, about a decade after the redevelopment of the island to feature condominiums and a business park, the bridge was re-decked and reopened as part of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail
.
Truss bridge
A truss bridge is a bridge composed of connected elements which may be stressed from tension, compression, or sometimes both in response to dynamic loads. Truss bridges are one of the oldest types of modern bridges...
across the Allegheny River
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River is a principal tributary of the Ohio River; it is located in the Eastern United States. The Allegheny River joins with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River at the "Point" of Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
between the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Troy Hill
Troy Hill
Troy Hill is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's North Side. It has a zip code of 15212, and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by the council member for District 1 ....
and Herrs Island (commonly referred to as Washington's Landing).
History
The bridge was originally built in 1890 by the Western Pennsylvania Railroad (West Penn) to gain access to Herr's Island. It left the main line on the mainland by means of a curving red brick viaduct and three plate girder spans over River Avenue and the B&O before crossing the back channel on a Whipple truss to reach the stockyards and warehouses on the island. In 1903 the West Penn was purchased by the Pennsylvania RailroadPennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
, becoming the Western Penn branch. The bridge was strengthened and raised later in the same year to match the raised land level on the island.
Between 1970 and 1990 the brick viaduct and three plate girder spans were removed. In 1999, about a decade after the redevelopment of the island to feature condominiums and a business park, the bridge was re-decked and reopened as part of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail
Three Rivers Heritage Trail
The Three Rivers Heritage Trail is an urban rail-trail paralleling the riverbanks in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for about , often on both sides of the rivers, and offering a spectacular view of the city. The trail is promoted and maintained in part by the Friends of the Riverfront...
.
External links
- Herr's Island Railroad Bridge at pghbridges.comPghbridges.comPghbridges.com is a reference site created by Bruce S. Cridlebaugh. Formally titled, Bridges and Tunnels of Allegheny County and Pittsburgh, PA, pghbridges.com has information on many of the structures of the area...
- Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. PA-443