Lost Point Bridges over Allegheny River in Pittsburgh, PA

1875-1907: (BrooklineConnection)

1915-1970: (Archived Bridge Hunter; HAER; pghbridges; Satellite) Official name: North Side Point Bridge

These notes focus on the north bridges. The south bridges have their own notes, which also has general photos of the point that include these bridges. The Point is an overview of the point area and has more photos of the bridges.

Bridges Now and Then posted
The closed Manchester Bridge, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, seen from the southeast, April, 1970. (Charles W. Shane)
Dennis DeBruler: HAER has more photos of this bridge: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/pa0064/

Significance: The Manchester Bridge replaced the old wooden Union Bridge, the first bridge erected at the Point and demolished in 1907. Both bridges spanned the Allegheny, connecting the Point of Pittsburgh to its North Side. The superstructure consisted of two Pennsylvania through-truss spans, each 531 feet long, with a clearance of 70 feet above harbor pool level. The designs of the bridge and the finely crafted, ornamental ironwork of the portals were executed under the direction of the Pittsburgh Department of Public Works.

[HAER_data]

Because the link is broke, I'm using the index for the Union Bridge.

Archived Bridge Hunter Index

I finally (Oct 2024) came across a photo that has the Union Bridge.

𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻: 𝗣𝗲𝗻𝗻𝘀𝘆𝗹𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗮 posted
Late 1800s • Pittsburgh PA!

Larry Bodnar: Correct me if I'm wrong, but I remember Rick Sebak saying on one of his PBS Pittsburgh shows that the water was so low in the summer that you could walk across the Allegheny to the North Side. All navigations on the river were halted during those months.

Rick Arturo: Larry Bodnar my grandfather who was born in 1910, said that before the dams were built, the Allegheny would be so low during droughts, he would often walk across the river to Sharpsburg.

Diane Godleski: Wow! I can’t believe how much water is in this picture! It was so scary to see that much water!

And then I came across photos of the bridge itself.

Jackson-Township historical preservation posted

Union Bridge located near "The Point" in Pittsburgh. The Union Bridge was Pittsburgh's last wooden constructed bridge, built in 1874 and later demolished in 1907 due to fire damage and being declared a hazard to navigation by the Secretary of War.

(Photo from Joe Lillion via https://www.facebook.com/groups/132768683480072/)

Bridges Now and Then shared

Jackson-Township historical preservation also posted with the same comment.

 

BrooklineConnection
"The interior of the Union Bridge, showing the roadbed, trolley tracks and walkway on each side."

Patrice M. Hewitt posted
WOW! This is the oldest known photograph of Pittsburgh! It was taken sometime between 1878-1882.

Ken Derry: The squarish buildings in the foreground are the Wrightman glass works. That's the original point bridge with the spires which was built in 1877. The covered bridge is the old Union Bridge. Built in 1874 and destroyed by flood in 1907.

John Schalcosky: Thank you for keeping my watermark! I'll never forget the first time I saw this photo.

Mark Bolla: Seems kind of weird that would be the earliest known picture. Photography wasn’t all that rare, and Matthew Brady had a very large portfolio of images from the Civil War that predated this image by over 20 years. It’s quite a stretch to think that no one took a picture of Pittsburgh earlier than that year before the first Kodak Camera in 1888.

Michael Hultin: Mark Bolla The earliest known photograph of a wild bird was 1884. Photography was absolutely that rare.

Russ Rose: Mark Bolla well, taking a pic and saving it for 150 years are 2 different things I guess

Jackson-Township historical preservation posted

Barges where the three rivers meet at "The Point" in Downtown Pittsburgh sometime prior to 1907. You can see the old Point Bridge, the Covered Union Bridge and the Exposition Hall. 1907 was the year that the Union Bridge was demolished.

(Photo from Jack Gates via https://www.facebook.com/Fayette-County-Historical-SocietyAbel-Colley-Tavern-Museum-156864401040108/)

Another example of the air pollution produced by the steel mills. I was trying to look through the pollution to see the Three Sisters Bridges. But I couldn't see them. That is because they would be built in 1926 and 1928.

USACE, Pittsburgh District posted

Can you believe that a hundred years ago the Point of Pittsburgh looked like this? 

This photo is dated April 27, 1925. 

What a transformation since then! The city is almost unrecognizable from the beautiful skyscape scenery we enjoy today.

The #USACE Office of History has been working to preserve and digitize a collection of approximately 30,000 historic photographs that capture our great city over time, especially the #PitsburghDistrict’s work on our waterways and inland navigation.

Learn more about the History Office’s massive archival efforts here: 

https://www.usace.army.mil/.../168-Pittsburgh-District... 

The rest of these notes are about the Manchester Bridge.

Jackson-Township historical preservation posted

The Manchester Bridge opened in 1915 and was the second bridge that connected the Point with the North Side of Pittsburgh. It was the successor to the wooden, covered Union Bridge (1874-1907). The Manchester Bridge was in use until 1969, when it was replaced by the Fort Duquesne Bridge. The bridge was demolished in 1970 as one of the final acts in the completion of the Point State Park project.

(Photo from Robert Wood via https://www.facebook.com/groups/132768683480072/)

HAER PA,2-PITBU,59--17
17. Charles W, Shane, Photographer, April 1970. VIEW FROM THE SOUTHEAST. - North Side Point Bridge, Spanning Allegheny River at Point of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, PA

I believe the building on the right side of this photo was the Three Rivers Stadium.

HAER PA,2-PITBU,59--24
24. Charles W. Shane, Photographer, April 1970. VIEW FROM THE SOUTHEAST. - North Side Point Bridge, Spanning Allegheny River at Point of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, PA

Significance: The Manchester Bridge replaced the old wooden Union Bridge, the first bridge erected at the Point and demolished in 1907. Both bridges spanned the Allegheny, connecting the Point of Pittsburgh to its North Side. The superstructure consisted of two Pennsylvania through-truss spans, each 531 feet long, with a clearance of 70 feet above harbor pool level. The designs of the bridge and the finely crafted, ornamental ironwork of the portals were executed under the direction of the Pittsburgh Department of Public Works. [HAER-data]

"TOTAL LENGTH (including longest elevated ramp): 2840 ft (Point approach, 913 ft; river spans, 1062 ft total; Allegheny approach, 865 ft)" [pghbridges]

Bridges Now and Then posted
Pittsburgh's Manchester Bridge, seen sometime before demolition in 1970. (Library of Congress)

pitt, cropped, Public Domain

 

picryl

route22ny via pinterest
"The Manchester Bridge in Pittsburgh.  It opened in 1915 and was the second bridge that connected the Point with the North Side of Pittsburgh. It replaced the wooden, covered Union Bridge (1874-1907). The Manchester Bridge was in use until 1969 (when it was replaced by the Fort Duquesne Bridge) and was demolished in 1970 as one of the final acts in the completion of the Point State Park project.  Undated photo, and caption info, from Jackson-Township Historical Preservation."

 

A photo that also has the Fort Duquesne Bridge that replaced this one as part of the project to create Point State Park and better roads in the area.

twitter

The bridge had pin-connected trusses. [scrolller and HAER_19]

ArtsAndCulture
"Entrances to the new bridge incorporated designs by Charles Keck representing the historical figures of Guyasuta, Christopher Gist, Joe Magarac and Jan Volkanik."

BrooklineConnection, this webpage has a lot of photos of the bridge including the demolition.
"The Manchester Bridge was known for its ornamental relief sculptures adorning both portals."

 

Jackson-Township historical preservation posted
River wall construction taking place at the Point in Downtown Pittsburgh in 1954. Prior to Renaissance I, the Point in Pittsburgh was in a state of complete disrepair. Litter, debris, unused freight yards, and vacant buildings polluted the “heart” of Pittsburgh and represented the last vestiges of the industrial revolution and steel boom. In Pittsburgh, Renaissance I was a cultural revolution begun by prominent industrialists, most notably, Richard Mellon. The Point became the focus of this urban planning project. The river wall construction was most likely an aspect of clearing the twenty-three acres on the western end of the Golden Triangle to make room for Point State Park and the fountain complex that now resides there.
(Photo from https://historicpittsburgh.org/)

This is the first view I've seen looking downstream.

The Tristate explorer added

The north abutment was preserved because the original plan was to mount the portal sculptures on it. Instead, a separate display was built for the sculptures that were on the southern portal. The sculptures that were on the northern portal have yet to be made public. [PittsburghOrbit, this web page has detailed photos of the sculptures.]  Historic Bridges took a lot of photos of this display.

Street View, Jun 2022

Abner87, Jan 2020, cropped

The bridge abutment became a Fred "Mister Rogers" Memorial.

20220817 1217

Digitally Zoomed

These are the sculptures that were on the northern portal.

BrooklineConnection
It features "Joe Magarac, the mythical steelworker, and Jan Volkanik, hero of coal miners."

15 decorations that were on the bridge are now displayed as decorations on the Landmarks Preservation Resource Center. [phlf via NextPittsburgh]

Street View, Aug 2017

Construction photos:

DOORS OPEN Pittsburgh posted
📸: Heinz History Center

 

Bridges Now and Then posted
This photo from June 3, 1913, shows Pittsburgh's Manchester Bridge construction looking north from The Point. This bridge replaced the Union Bridge, which existed across the Allegheny River between Allegheny City and Pittsburgh's Point from 1874 until 1907.

pitt, Public Domain

pitt, cropped, Public Domain
"A view of construction on the north approach of the North Side Point Bridge [Manchester Bridge]. The image specifically shows workers and a crane building the south wall at the Pittsburgh Junction Railroad under grade crossing."

HistoricPittsburgh, cropped, Public Domain
"A view of men working on the southwest corner of span no. 1 during construction of the North Side Point Bridge. The bridge was completed in 1914 and demolished in 1970. The Western Pennsylvania Exposition Building is visible in the background."

1920 AZ-288 over Salt River in Arizona

(Bridge Hunter broke Mar 22, 2023; Satellite)

Talk about being in the wilderness, there are no street views available. 

azdot
"The bridge remains almost exactly as it was built, with very few alterations done over the decades....The bridge is also remarkable as the earliest and longest through-truss bridge still in its original location."
[I presume it is the earliest and longest in the state of Arizona.]
Arizona Department of Transportation posted

Meet the OTHER Salt River Bridge, the one that's carried State Route 288 traffic in Gila County since 1920.

This was one of the earliest bridges built after Arizona became a state. In 1918, the Bureau of Public Roads (a predecessor of the Federal Highway Administration) began scouting locations for a new road in the Tonto and Crook National Forest. The earth road would intersect with the Apache Trail near Roosevelt, and then 44 miles north to the town of Young. One of the new road's major components was a bridge over the Salt River, near the head of Roosevelt Lake. The design was completed in 1919 and the structure was up by the end of 1920.

The bridge features a long-span steel truss, know as a Parker truss, with footings set directly into the solid-rock shoreline, as well as a concrete deck flanked by steel pipe guardrails. 

Although it's considered a remote crossing, the SR 288 Salt River Bridge is important in Arizona bridge history for three reasons:

1. It's the earliest documented example of a bridge constructed by the Bureau of Public Roads in Arizona;

2. It is the earliest and longest through-truss bridge still in its original location;

3. It's only one of four Parker trusses found in ADOT's statewide bridge inventory.

Richard Maio: Beware the clearance. The sign states 12’-3”. I came to the bridge with my 13’-6” 5th wheel. No place to turn around. Would have to back almost a mile to turn around. Decided to check clearance, it was over 14’. Thank you God of Travel.

Bruce Fassett: Back during 1978-81 "100 Yr Floods" it was one of the two bridges over the River. It was a way from Phoenix and Mesa.

Kevin Walsh shared

Photo by AZ DOT

Chris Ader commented on AZDOT post

C Hanchey Flickr, License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) 
AZ 288 Salt River Bridge (Gila County, Arizona)

1920 Parker through truss bridge on Arizona Hwy 288 over the Salt River at the head of Roosevelt Lake in Gila County, Arizona.

The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988 (NRHP No. 88001604).

Bridge No. 37 in the 2004 Arizona Historic Bridge Inventory

C Hanchey Flickr, License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) 

C Hanchey Flickr, License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) 

C Hanchey Flickr, License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) 

[The bridge has just one lane.]

azdot

ArizonaRoads
The bridge has just one lane.

GlobeMiamiTimes, photo by Patti Daley
"It’s nearly 215 ft. [65m] span is supported by concrete abutments set Into solid rock shorelines. The bridge is technologically significant as one of only four Parker trusses in the state, and the earliest and longest originally located through truss."

This is the takeout location for raft trips that begin at the US-60 Bridge. See those notes for more information about the rafting. The sign on the bridge in this photo says the following in English and, I presume, Spanish: "Danger Falls Ahead    Exit Left Bank."

DarrensRides

A 3:10 video of and from the bridge

1934+1996 US-60+AZ-77 Bridges over Salt River in Arizona

(Bridge Hunter broke Mar 22, 2023; Satellite)

Aerial View via azmemory

arizona
"The Salt River Canyon Bridge spans one of the most dramatic canyons in Arizona.  It was funded by the Public Works Administration, designed in 1933 by architect Lee Moor, and completed in June 1934.  The bridge is a single-span steel arch.  The design of the bridge approach was highly complex because of the multiple curvatures.  Its Art Deco superstructure shines in the sunlight and is still one of Arizona's most visibly striking, engineered structures.  Today the bridge carries only pedestrian traffic; a newer, wider version that sits adjacent handles automobile and truck traffic on Highway 60."

Gribblenation posted

Pictured is the then new Salt River Bridge of US Route 60 as seen on the cover of the July 1934 volume of Arizona Highways.  

When US Route 60 was extended through Arizona to California during 1931 it temporarily followed the entirety of Arizona State Route 73 (now BIA Route 9 south of Fort Apache).  This temporary routing was necessary due to work on the permanent alignment of US Route 60 through Salt River Canyon also having only begun during 1931.  The original Salt River Bridge would be completed during 1934 but the remainder of the highway towards Show Low took several more years to finish.

Upon the completion of the Globe-Show Low Highway during 1938 US Route 60 was moved to the routing it now occupies.  Arizona State Route 77 was also extended south from to Oracle Junction by way of the Globe-Show Low Highway and Salt River Bridge.  The 1934 Salt River Bridge was replaced by a modern span during 1996.   The 1934 Salt River Bridge still stands next to the structure which replaced it.

Mark David Moore: I actually stopped here in September 2021, and liked this area better than the Grand Canyon partly because I did not have to pay a $35 entrance fee.

Michael Adkins commented on the above post
The old bridge this May, with a bit of the new bridge behind it.

Michael Adkins commented on the above post
...and a wider shot showing both bridges along with the Salt River beneath them.

Michael Adkins commented on the above post
Now

Darel Maden posted
US 60 Salt River Arizona (old and new spans)

The bridges are in the middle foreground of this photo.

Street View, Aug 2022

I found the bridge by tracing US-60 between Show Low and Globe looking for the river. On my second pass, I noticed the road wiggled a lot in one spot, so I zoomed in. Indeed, it wiggled because the road was going into the Salt River Canyon. This area is even more of a wilderness than West Virginia in terms of not having any nearby towns. The Theodore Roosevelt Dam is downstream from here.

Satellite

I recognize Salt River as the one that Tempe, AZ, dams so the residents can see what water looks like.

Vijay pentapati via Dennis DeBruler

gribblenation blog post
The bridge was replaced in 1993.

 

GlobeMiamiTimes, Photo by Patti Daley
"With a single 162-foot arch span and seven shorter steel girder approach spans, the Salt River Canyon Bridge was the first girder-ribbed steel arch undertaken by AHD, and became their standard. Queen Creek and Pinto Creek have similar designs."
[This source provides a 1966 date for the replacement bridge.]
"Painted red and adorned with Apache symbols, Apache Bridge (aka New Salt River Bridge) now carries traffic on U.S. 60.  Salt River Canyon Bridge remains open for foot traffic and the site serves as a popular put-in for whitewater rafters. After a three to five day trip down the wild and scenic Salt River, rafters arrive at their takeout point, with another historic bridge, and popular photo backdrop."

 

Photo via cacreeks
[This webpage describes a rafting trip down the river.].

 

A blog post about the geology you pass when you raft the river.

And this is why rafters get out of the river at the AZ-288 Bridge. The sign on the bridge in this photo says the following in English and, I presume, Spanish: "Danger Falls Ahead    Exit Left Bank."

DarrensRides

Actually, the falls appears to be a diversion dam.

Satellite

azdot_filigree
"a two-hinged steel deck arch design"

azdot_recipes