The Donald R. Lobaugh Bridge (commonly known as the Freeport Bridge) is a

cantilever bridge A cantilever bridge is a bridge built using structures that project horizontally into space, supported on only one end (called cantilevers). For small footbridges, the cantilevers may be simple beam (structure), beams; however, large cantilever ...

that carries vehicular traffic across 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 ...

between Buffalo and Allegheny townships in

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, ...

History

Built in 1965, the bridge marks the boundary between suburban

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 ...

and the more rural Upper Allegheny. The structure replaced the 1889 Garvers Ferry Bridge, which was extremely deteriorated by the 1950s and that was nearly destroyed in a 1959 barge collision. The bridge's namesake is

Donald R. Lobaugh Donald Ronald Lobaugh (February 7, 1925 – July 22, 1944) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II. Biography Lobaugh joined the Ar ...

, a

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

recipient from

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The bridge was listed as having a poor deck and substructure and having serious deterioration of its superstructure before having $5 million of emergency steel repairs in 2006/2007. Before the repairs the weight limit was 3 tons; this was increased to a legal load limit of 40 tons after the repairs. The bridge is maintained by Pennsylvania Department of Transport 12-0 and was rehabilitated over a period from 2010 to 2013.

References

{{Crossings navbox , structure = Bridges , place =

, bridge = Donald R. Lobaugh Bridge , bridge signs = , upstream = Freeport Rail Bridge , upstream signs = , downstream = George D. Stuart Bridge , downstream signs = Bridges over the Allegheny River Bridges completed in 1965 Steel bridges in the United States Cantilever bridges in the United States Road bridges in Pennsylvania Truss bridges in the United States Transportation buildings and structures in Butler County, Pennsylvania Bridges in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania

History

See also

References