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 in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

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 ...

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. 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

References

External links

16th Street Bridge
at pghbridges.com
Post-Gazette feature
{{NRHP bridges Bridges in Pittsburgh, McCullough 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

See also

References

External links