| Key Facts |
| Bridge Name | Facility Carried / Feature Intersected | Location | Structure Type | Construction Date / Builder or Contractor |
| Ohio Street Bridge | Ohio Street Over Railroad (Norfolk Southern) | Pittsburgh: Allegheny County, Pennsylvania | Metal Riveted Warren Pony Truss, Stationary | 1903 By: Fort Pitt Bridge Works of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Technical Facts |
| Rehabilitation Date | Structure Length | Bridge Width | Roadway Width | Minimum Vertical Underclearance | Main Spans | Approach Spans |
| 1958 | 69 Feet (21 Meters) | 80 Feet (24 Meters) | 45 Feet (13.7 Meters) | 19 Feet (5.79 Meters) Over Railroad | 1 | None |
This bridge is nearby and of the same design as the Ridge Avenue Bridge.
The Pennsylvania Historic Bridge Inventory listed the bridge as historic because it is part of a historic railroad line. However, the bridge should be considered individually significant because of its uncommon design, which features bulky girders supporting the sidewalk, and due to its wide, three truss design, all of this presented in a structure that retains good historic integrity. The bridge is also unusual because the bottom chord is designed like a plate girder, which the trusses are built into. In other words, there is no distinction between a gusset plate for the riveted connections and the bottom chord... both are the same piece of steel. The bridge also features attractive pedestrian railings, and is an attractive addition to a bridge on a road that travels through a park setting.
Unfortunately, the future is not likely very bright for this bridge. It has a very low sufficiency rating (only 2%) which is generally indicative of a bridge that its owner wishes to demolish and replace soon. This low rating certainly does not mean that the bridge could not be restored for continued vehicular traffic, or relocated elsewhere and restored for use as a pedestrian bridge. Certainly, one of these preservation options should be pursued instead of demolition.
Information and Findings From Pennsylvania's Historic Bridge InventoryDiscussion of Bridge The single span, 69'-long, rivet connected Warren with verticals pony truss bridge built in 1903 has three truss lines with the middle one dividing the roadway. The lower chords are composed of built-up plates and angles resembling a girder, an unusual detail. The bridge is supported on ashlar abutments that are contiguous with the depressed section rail line's retaining walls. The sidewalks are supported outside the truss lines on built-up thru girders topped by decorative metal lattice railings with stone end posts. The bridge was designed by the Pennsylvania RR and fabricated by the Fort Pitt Bridge Works. The bridge is not individually significant, but it is historically significant in association with the PHMC-determined eligible PRR Fort Wayne Divison line. The bridge dates from the line's period of significance and was built during a period when the railroad was actively improving the line for higher speeds and capacity, which included quadruple tracking and grade crossing improvements. Discussion of Surrounding Area The bridge carries a 2 lane street and 2 sidewalks over 3 active Conrail tracks in Pittsburgh's North Side in Allegheny Commons Park. One block from the bridge is another similar bridge over the same rail line (BMS# 02730100003081). The rail line is the former PRR Fort Wayne Division line that has been determined eligible by PHMC (DOE 9/14/93). This section of the line was established in the 1850s, and it has historically provided a vital transportation link in the flow of east-west traffic on the PRR system. It was the main route westward from Pittsburgh to Chicago with branches to Detroit, Cleveland, and Toledo. Bridge Considered Historic By Survey: Yes |
