The Freeport Rail Bridge is a

truss bridge A truss bridge is a bridge whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss, a structure of connected elements, usually forming triangular units. The connected elements (typically straight) may be stressed from tension, compression, or ...

that carries the

Norfolk Southern Railway The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the company operates 19,420 route miles (31 ...

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 Freeport and Allegheny Township 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, ...

. A structure originally created on this site by the

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad (reporting mark PRR), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named ...

as part of their West Penn Line in 1866. In 1895, the railroad replaced this bridge; the third and current incarnation was completed in 1950, along with new approach ramps that eliminated a narrow tunnel. Prior to 1957, passenger service was carried along this line (the

Conemaugh Line The Conemaugh Line is a rail line owned and operated by the Norfolk Southern Railway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The line runs from Conpit Junction, Pennsylvania (west of New Florence) northwest and southwest to Pittsburgh, following the ...

) alongside freight. Following the decline of the PRR,

Conrail Conrail , formally the Consolidated Rail Corporation, was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeastern United States between 1976 and 1999. The trade name Conrail is a portmanteau based on the company's legal name. It continues to do busin ...

took over control of the bridge. Currently, it is operated as part of the Pittsburgh Division of Norfolk Southern.

References

KVRR HistoryHistory of the PRR
{{Crossings navbox , structure = Bridges , place =

, bridge = Freeport Rail Bridge , bridge signs =

, upstream = Allegheny River Lock & Dam Five , upstream signs = , downstream =

Donald R. Lobaugh Bridge The Donald R. Lobaugh Bridge (commonly known as the Freeport Bridge) is a cantilever bridge that carries vehicular traffic across the Allegheny River between Buffalo and Allegheny townships in Pennsylvania. History Built in 1965, the bridge mar ...

, downstream signs = Bridges over the Allegheny River Bridges completed in 1950 Steel bridges in the United States Truss bridges in the United States

See also

References