| Key Facts |
| Bridge Name | Facility Carried / Feature Intersected | Location | Structure Type | Construction Date / Builder or Contractor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Liberty Bridge
| Crosstown Boulevard (Liberty Avenue) Over Monongahela River | Pittsburgh: Allegheny County, Pennsylvania | Metal Riveted Cantilever Deck Truss, Fixed | 1928 By: Independent Bridge Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Technical Facts |
| Rehabilitation Date | Main Span Length | Structure Length | Roadway Width | Main Spans | Approach Spans |
| 1983 | 450 Feet (137.2 Meters) | 2663 Feet (811.7 Meters) | 56 Feet (17.1 Meters) | 2 | 14 |
This is an impressive, large deck truss structure. It consists of two main cantilever spans and the bridge has sixteen total spans. Its aesthetic qualities arise from its cantilever design and extensive v-lacing and lattice on is members, nearly all of which are built-up.
The bridge was important in the development of Pittsburgh, along with the bridge's obstacle-eliminating companion, the Liberty Tunnels, since it connected important parts of the city.
This bridge once was even more impressive than it is today, having once had ornate railings and piers that originally continued their design to up above the roadway to form decorative pillars. These alteration arose out of a 1983 project to widen the bridge beyond its original 38 foot configuration by cantilevering out the deck. This project makes the reason for removing the pier extension obvious, but why the original railings were not simply reused on the new sidewalk remains unclear, since the pedestrian railings are separate of the vehicular barriers and need not be crash-resistant. These alterations were severe, but do not significantly diminish the importance of this bridge and its continued preservation, given the large bridge engineering significance of the structure, its contribution as a member of the large group of magnificent historic bridges in downtown Pittsburgh, and numerous remaining aesthetic qualities of the bridge.
