The Herr's Island Railroad Bridge, also known as the West Penn Railroad 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 ...
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 ...
in the United States between the
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 ...
neighborhoods of
Troy Hill and
Herrs Island (commonly referred to as Washington's Landing).
History
The bridge was built in 1890 by the Western Pennsylvania Railroad (West Penn) to gain access to Herr's Island. It left the main line on the mainland by means of a curving red brick viaduct and three plate girder spans over River Avenue and the B&O before crossing the back channel on a Whipple truss to reach the stockyards and warehouses on the island. In 1903, the West Penn was purchased 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 ...
, becoming the Western Penn branch. The bridge was strengthened and raised later in the same year to match the raised land level on the island.
Between 1970 and 1990, the brick viaduct and three plate girder spans were removed. In 1999, about a decade after the redevelopment of the island with condominiums and a business park, the bridge was re-decked and reopened as part of the
Three Rivers Heritage Trail
The Three Rivers Heritage Trail is an urban rail trail paralleling the riverbanks in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Allegheny County for about , often on both sides of the rivers, and offering views of the city. The trail is promoted and maintained ...
.
See also
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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
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* ...
External links
Herr's Island Railroad Bridgeat pghbridges.com
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Railroad bridges in Pennsylvania
Bridges over the Allegheny River
Bridges completed in 1890
Pennsylvania Railroad bridges
Historic American Engineering Record in Pennsylvania
Whipple truss bridges in the United States
1890 establishments in Pennsylvania
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