Rachel Carson Bridge
Encyclopedia
Rachel Carson Bridge, also known as the Ninth Street Bridge, spans the Allegheny River
in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
.
Named for the naturalist 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 bridge
s 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.
The bridge was renamed on Earth Day
, April 22, 2006, after years of lobbying by Esther Barazzone, president of Chatham University, the alma mater
of the renowned environmentalist
. Carson was born in 1907 in Springdale, Pennsylvania
in a farmhouse 18 miles up the Allegheny River, now the Rachel Carson Homestead
.
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...
in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
.
Named for the naturalist Rachel Carson
Rachel Carson
Rachel Louise Carson was an American marine biologist and conservationist whose writings are credited with advancing the global environmental movement....
, a Pittsburgh native, it is one of three parallel bridges called The Three Sisters
Three Sisters (Pittsburgh)
A suspension bridge works by hanging a roadway from cables or chains under tension. Though a few unstiffened suspension bridges exist, a longitudinal stiffening truss or girder is usually added to prevent excessive movement of the deck. The cables pass over towers and are anchored at both ends...
, the others being the Roberto Clemente Bridge
Roberto Clemente Bridge
The Roberto Clemente Bridge, also known as the Sixth Street Bridge, spans the Allegheny River in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
and the Andy Warhol Bridge
Andy Warhol Bridge
Andy Warhol Bridge, also known as the Seventh Street Bridge, spans the Allegheny River in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and is the only bridge in the United States named for a visual artist....
. The Three Sisters are self-anchored suspension bridge
Self-anchored suspension bridge
A self-anchored suspension bridge is a suspension bridge in which the main cables attach to the ends of the deck, rather than to the ground via large anchorages...
s 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.
The bridge was renamed on Earth Day
Earth Day
Earth Day is a day that is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment. The name and concept of Earth Day was allegedly pioneered by John McConnell in 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco. The first Proclamation of Earth Day was by San Francisco, the...
, April 22, 2006, after years of lobbying by Esther Barazzone, president of Chatham University, the alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
of the renowned environmentalist
Environmentalist
An environmentalist broadly supports the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that seeks to improve and protect the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities"...
. Carson was born in 1907 in Springdale, Pennsylvania
Springdale, Pennsylvania
Springdale is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, northeast of Pittsburgh along the Allegheny River. The population was 3,405 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Springdale is located at ....
in a farmhouse 18 miles up the Allegheny River, now the Rachel Carson Homestead
Rachel Carson Homestead
Rachel Carson Homestead, also known as Rachel Carson House, is a National Register of Historic Places site in Springdale, Pennsylvania, United States, 18 miles northeast of Pittsburgh along the Allegheny River....
.
Image gallery
External links
- Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. PA-490-C, "Three Sisters Bridges, Ninth Street Bridge"
- entry 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...
- entry at BridgeMeister.com