Father Pitt

Category: Bridges

  • Roberto Clemente Bridge

    Roberto Clemente Bridge
    Composite of four photographs.

    The Three Sisters bridges—Sixth Street, Seventh Street, and Ninth Street—were built between 1925 and 1928 after the War Department determined that the existing bridges over the Allegheny were too low and impeded navigation. As engineering feats they are technically interesting: they had to be made self-anchoring to avoid tearing out huge chunks of valuable property downtown. As architecture they are memorable, and not just because this is the only place in the world where you can see three identical suspension bridges side by side. The Sixth Street Bridge, now named for Pirates star and philanthropist Roberto Clemente, was the most beautiful steel bridge built in America in 1928.

    Sixth Street Bridge

    On baseball days the bridge is closed to motor vehicles, which allows a gentleman in a powdered wig to stand right in the middle of it with his Kodak.

    Sixth Street Bridge plaque

    The architect was Stanley Roush, the king of public works in Pittsburgh at the time. You may think Father Pitt was being a bit hyperbolic in calling this the most beautiful steel bridge of 1928, but he was merely reading off its credentials.

    American Institute of Steel Construction—Annual Award of Merit—Most Beautiful Steel Bridge—1928
    Kodak EasyShare Z981.

  • Bridge and Stadium

    Acrisure Stadium and the Fort Pitt Bridge
    Fujifilm FinePix HS10.

  • Three Rivers Arts Festival on the Rachel Carson Bridge

    Artists’ Market booths on the Rachel Carson Bridge
    Fujifilm FinePix HS10.

    This year the Artists’ Market has spread from Fort Duquesne Boulevard all the way along the Rachel Carson or Ninth Street Bridge. The extra room makes the festival feel even more open and inviting.

  • Washington Crossing Bridge

    The 40th Street or Washington Crossing Bridge, in a picture taken a year and a half ago but somehow lost in the debris until now. In the right foreground is the Bair & Gazzam Building.

  • West End Bridge

    Arch of the West End Bridge
    West End Bridge

  • Bridges at Night

    Sixth Street Bridge

    The Three Sisters bridges have a new lighting scheme. Above, the Roberto Clemente or Sixth Street Bridge; below, the Andy Warhol or Seventh Street Bridge.

    Seventh Street Bridge

  • Sixteenth Street Bridge

    Sixteenth Street Bridge

    Demolition of a warehouse for a new skyscraper apartment building has temporarily made these views of the Sixteenth Street Bridge from Penn Avenue possible, at least for a photographer who is willing to stand on his toes and hold the camera at arm’s length above the construction fence.

    Sixteenth Street Bridge

  • Birmingham Bridge

    Birmingham Bridge

  • Back-Channel Span of the Ohio Connecting Railroad Bridge

    Seen from West Carson Street. This railroad bridge crosses the Ohio at Brunot Island, and therefore has two main spans; we also have pictures of the front-channel span and a view of the whole bridge from the north shore.

  • Ohio Connecting Railroad Bridge

    This bridge crosses the Ohio at Brunot Island, and therefore has two main spans, one for each channel. Here we see them both from California Avenue to the north. We also have pictures of the Ohio Connecting Railroad Bridge from the side.