The David McCullough Bridge, commonly and historically known as the 16th Street Bridge, is a steel trussed
through arch bridge
A through arch bridge, also known as a through-type arch bridge, is a bridge that is made from materials such as steel or reinforced concrete, in which the base of an arch structure is below the deck but the top rises above it. It can either be lo ...
that spans the
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River ( ) is a long headwater stream of the Ohio River in western Pennsylvania and New York (state), New York. The Allegheny River runs from its headwaters just below the middle of Pennsylvania's northern border northwesterly into ...
in
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
.
The 16th Street Bridge replaced the Mechanics Street Bridge which had been completed at the behest of the State of Pennsylvania in 1838. The 16th Street Bridge was constructed in 1922 with a length of and a width of . The bridge was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1979. The 16th Street Bridge is one of the more popular bridges in the city of Pittsburgh and provides easy access to the
Strip District and the
North Shore.
Days after the disastrous
St. Patrick's Day Flood of 1936, reports spread on March 20 that the bridge had collapsed from the pressure of the receding flood waters and debris, prompting
Pittsburgh Police Chief
The Pittsburgh Police Chief is an American law enforcement official who serves as the head of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, appointed by the Mayor of Pittsburgh. The Chief is a civilian administrator, and was historically referred to as the Pol ...
Jacob Dorsey to close all city bridges for fear of receding waters and debris weakening or collapsing them. However, the reports were soon discovered to be false.
On July 7, 2013, the structure was named in honor of historian, author, and commentator
David McCullough
David Gaub McCullough (; July 7, 1933 – August 7, 2022) was an American popular historian. He was a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. In 2006, he was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States ...
, a Pittsburgh native, in a bridge ceremony sponsored by
Heinz History Center
The Senator John Heinz History Center, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, is the largest history museum in the Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. Named after U.S. Senator H. John Heinz III (1938–1991) from Pennsy ...
.
File:DavidMcCulloughBridge.jpg, View from above
File:16thst from lawrenceville.jpg, View from 31st Street Bridge with downtown in background and Heinz Loft on north bank
File:16th st from the strip.jpg, View from Strip District
See also
*
List of crossings of the Allegheny River
This is a list of current bridges and other crossings of the Allegheny River starting from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where it joins the Monongahela to form the Ohio River.
Crossings
Pennsylvania
New York
Pennsylvania
See also
*
* ...
*
References
External links
16th Street Bridgeat pghbridges.com
Post-Gazette feature
{{NRHP bridges
McCullough
McCullough is a Northern Irish surname. It is a variation of the Scottish McCulloch. In Irish Gaelic it's “''Mac Cú Uladh''”, which means ''“Son of Ulster”.''
People with the surname McCullough:
* Alfred McCullough (born 1989), America ...
Bridges over the Allegheny River
Road bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
Bridges completed in 1923
Through arch bridges in the United States
Towers in Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation Historic Landmarks
National Register of Historic Places in Pittsburgh
1923 establishments in Pennsylvania