David McCullough Bridge

David McCullough Bridge
David McCullough Bridge
Coordinates	40°27′6″N 79°59′27″W / 40.45167°N 79.99083°W
Carries	16th Street
Crosses	Allegheny River
Locale	Allegheny, Pennsylvania, United States
Other name(s)	Sixteenth Street Bridge
Maintained by	Allegheny County
NRHP #	79002163
Characteristics
Total length	1,996 m (6,549 ft)
Width	41.3 m (135 ft)
Longest span	437 feet (133 m)
Clearance below	41.3 feet (12.6 m)
History
Architect	Warren and Wetmore, architects
Designer	H.G. Balcom, engineer
Built	1923
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
	Pittsburgh Landmark – PHLF
NRHP reference No.	79002163
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	August 13, 1979
Designated PHLF	2001
Location

The David McCullough Bridge, commonly and historically known as the 16th Street Bridge, is a steel trussed through arch bridge that spans the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The 16th Street Bridge replaced the Mechanics Street Bridge, completed at the behest of the State of Pennsylvania in 1838.^[3] The 16th Street Bridge was constructed in 1922 with a length of 1,900 feet (580 m) and a width of 40 feet (12 m). The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places 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 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.^[4]

On July 7, 2013, the structure was named in honor of historian, author, and commentator David McCullough, a Pittsburgh native, in a bridge ceremony sponsored by Heinz History Center.^[5]

View from above
View from 31st Street Bridge with downtown in the background and Heinz Loft on the north bank
View from Strip District

References[edit]

^ "NPS Focus". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. Archived from the original on July 25, 2008. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
^ Historic Landmark Plaques 1968-2009 (PDF). Pittsburgh, PA: Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation. 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-02.
^ Mader, Nicole. "Northern Liberties Bridge Company Ledger Finding Aid". University of Pittsburgh Archive Service Center. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
^ "False Report of Bridge Collapsing Causes Panic in Pittsburgh -- 45 Dead". The Evening Independent Vol. 39, No. 118. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
^ "David McCullough Bridge Dedication Ceremony & Celebrations Announced". www.alleghenycounty.us. June 26, 2013. Retrieved 2021-01-31.

External links[edit]

Media related to 16th Street Bridge (Pittsburgh) at Wikimedia Commons

16th Street Bridge at pghbridges.com
Post-Gazette feature

[focus-1] "NPS Focus". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. Archived from the original on July 25, 2008. Retrieved November 6, 2011.

[2] Historic Landmark Plaques 1968-2009 (PDF). Pittsburgh, PA: Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation. 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-02.

[3] Mader, Nicole. "Northern Liberties Bridge Company Ledger Finding Aid". University of Pittsburgh Archive Service Center. Retrieved 28 February 2013.

[4] "False Report of Bridge Collapsing Causes Panic in Pittsburgh -- 45 Dead". The Evening Independent Vol. 39, No. 118. Retrieved 28 February 2013.

[5] "David McCullough Bridge Dedication Ceremony & Celebrations Announced". www.alleghenycounty.us. June 26, 2013. Retrieved 2021-01-31.

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