Guide to Pittsburgh bridges

Pittsburgh's proximity to three major rivers make bridges a practical necessity. At the same time, Pittsburgh bridges represent diverse architectural styles, rare engineering feats and sometimes quirky appeal. The city contains 446 bridges in a variety of styles.

Whether you want to traverse a river or travel along a National Historic Landmark, here are some of the top Pittsburgh bridges to check out.

Jerome Street Bridge
Built in 1937, Jerome Street Bridge flies over Youghiogheny River and Railroad. Its main span is an example of a very rare crescent-arch bridge that becomes a braced rib in the middle of the span.

Smithfield Street Bridge
The Smithfield Street Bridge is the oldest steel bridge in the United States. Designed by Lindenthal and completed in 1883, this bridge spans the Monogahela River and connects downtown Pittsburgh to Station Square. The current version is the third bridge at the site; the first was a covered wooden bridge destroyed by fire in 1845 and the second was designed by Roebling, who also built the Brooklyn Bridge.

The 40th Street Bridge
Also known as the Washington Crossing Bridge, this bridge is decorated with the seals of the 13 original colonies. It spans the Allegheny River, connecting Lawrence to Millvale. Its approximate location is at the spot where young George Washington and his guide crossed the river in 1753 to relay a message from the governor of Virginia to the French forces. 

6th, 7th, and 9th Street Bridges
This trio of identical bridges, the only group of its kind, was built in the mid-1920s by the American Bridge Company of New York City. They cross the Allegheny River and link downtown to Pittsburgh's North Side. The 6th (also known as the Roberto Clemente Bridge), 7th (also known as the Andy Warhol Bridge), and 9th Street (also known as the Rachel Carson Bridge) bridges are uniquely designed as self-anchored suspension bridges with large steel eyebar suspension systems. During Pirate games, 6th Street Bridge is closed to vehicles so fans can walk it to get to the games.

Panther Hollow
This bridge, a very old, very big example of steel-arch technology, is probably even better known for the sculptures of panthers that grace each corner of its entrance. A trail system runs under its stone arches, forming a great vantage point for viewing the bridge above.

Wilson Road Bridge
This eye-catching example of Pittsburgh bridges is not particularly significant historically, but it is odd. The arch bridge has a series of curved metal plates supporting it. They look like modern corrugated metal culvert material, though the bridge was built during the 1930s. Spandrel walls of stone and stone railings make this an ordinary bridge that looks like a stone-arch bridge.

McKees Rocks Bridge
Running over the Ohio River, Railroad and various other streets, this bridge is significant even in a county filled with some of the must unique bridges in the nation. PGH Bridges' website calls this bridge a "pattern book on bridge types" and its variety of span types is truly impressive.

George Westinghouse Bridge
The 460-foot length of this bridge's central span dwarfs all others in the Pittsburgh area and it's an impressive 200 feet above the valley floor. This bridge also includes enormous decorative pylons that depict area history through a series of sculptures on the themes of "Steel," "Electricity," "George Westinghouse," and "Turtle Creek Valley."

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