1903-1948 Lost/P&WV/Wabash Bridge over Monongahela River in Pittsburgh, PA

(Bridge Hunter; pghbridges; 3D Satellite, one of the remaining two piers)

P&WV = Pittsburgh & West Virginia

See BrooklineConnection for a lot more photos of the bridge and the Wabash Terminal.

The tunnel just south of the bridge (pghbridges) was converted to a High Occupancy Vehicle road in 2004. [Bridge Hunter Index]

Photo Fair Use-Courtesy Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Photo taken by Royce and Bobette Haley, via Bridge Hunter
[The bridge provided access to the elaborate Wabash Terminal in downtown Pittsburgh. This was George Gould's ill-fated attempt to compete with the Pennsylvania Railroad in Pittsburgh. It was "at the intersection of Liberty Ave and Ferry St, currently known as Stanwix St."]

Henry Gulden posted

Rich Kacin: Pittsburgh, Monongahela River at the Wabash bridge.

HS House Camping posted
July 1938. "Looking north. Monongahela River, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania." Medium format acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. 
Jay Krajcovic shared

Ian Anderson posted
Pittsburgh's Wabash-P&WV terminal bridge. At one time the largest bridge in the city and one of the largest bridges in the world (it did hold the record for the largest 2 pier Cantilever bridge for a time). It was built as part of a venture to compete with the Pennsylvania Railroad and expand the Wabash into the state of PA. However, NYC, P&LE, PRR, B&O, and others had already taken all the best routes into the city. The result was a need for a series of.major grades, trestles, and tunnels, which ultimately bankrupted the venture. The line was bought by the P&WV with passenger service being discontinued in the early 1930s. By the late 1940s a fire destroyed the downtown terminal leaving the bridge disused, and it was disassembled soon after. Today, it's piers still remain. A near identical bridge still remains as part of the old line, still in use, at Mingo Junction, WV, not far from Wellsburg.
Ironically, it's removal has since been regretted by many, as if it had been converted to 2 lane road traffic, it would have been able to align with nearby Stanwix street, which would alleviate a great deal of traffic into and out of downtown during the morning and evening rushes. Now a new bridge is impossible due to buildings being built in the path. The piers went up for sale 2 years ago but nothing ever came of it.

Jackson-Township historical preservation posted

Photo showing an ice jam at the Point Bridge on the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh in March of 1936. The Winter of 1936 dropped more than 63 inches of snow on Pittsburgh. Ice jams formed on the upper Allegheny and Monongahela rivers. On March 16, high temperatures melted the snow and ice. Over the next two days, the melting and heavy rain combined to cause the worst flood in Pittsburgh’s history. The March 18th headline of the Post-Gazette read: “River at 34 feet, still rises. Downtown area under water.”  On March 19, the Post-Gazette’s front page read: “Rivers drop: Crest 46 feet; thousands awaiting relief.”  The lead story reported: “Big aid fund voted; troops guard city; eight known dead. Power fails, large area is in darkness, trolleys stop; food and water scarcity add to peril in wake of flood.” The flood became known as “The Great St. Patrick’s Day Flood.” 

(Photo and Text from http://pgdigs.tumblr.com/)

Dennis DeBruler

While researching the Point Bridges that were in Pittsburgh, I came across this Detroit Publishing Co. photo, circa 1900-15. It shows the importance that riverboats, railroads and street cars once had in that area.

LC-D4-15633 [P&P]

https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2016802438/

[The Wabash Bridge is in the background.]

 

Peter Halapatz posted
An exceptional high resolution image of the P&LE yards from Duquesne Heights July 2, 1915. Quite a variety of rolling stock and other equipment.

Daniel Lowell Placiszewski Plazek: That location today as well as back then is Mount Washington. Duquesne Heights is past the Point and over looks the Ohio River. This view is overlooking the Monongahela River

Great photo regardless!!!

[the Wabash Bridge is on the left side.]

The Wabash Terminal quit servicing passenger traffic in Oct 1931. It served as an office building until it was dismantled in 1954. Some of its steel was melted down for use in the Dravosburg Bridge. [post-gazette-station]

Photographer unknown via Bridge Hunter

I did not realize that the Wabash Railroad made it to Pittsburgh until I started researching this photo.

Pete Zimmerman posted
Pittsburgh circa 1910. "Monongahela River levee from Smithfield Street Bridge." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. (unknown photographer)

Wabash  acquired a route to Pittsburgh in an 1889 merger. (This merger included several other railroads as well.)

AbsoluteAstronomy via DeBruler

David Gulden posted
CRUCIBLE at the WABASH BRIDGE

 

James Love posted
P&LE RR Station Square Yard facing westbound showing W&LE & Pittsburgh Wabash Terminal Railroad Trestle Bridge over Monongahela River as Pittsburgh Wabash Terminal Station was at Ferry Street now Stanwix Street at Liberty Avenue.
Richard Leasure: A little blurry, but I believe that is DX Tower off in the distance just to the left of the bridge pillar

Dennis DeBruler posted

While researching the Point Bridges that were in Pittsburgh, I came across this Detroit Publishing Co. photo, circa 1900-15. It shows the importance that riverboats, railroads and street cars once had in that area.

LC-D4-15633 [P&P]

https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2016802438/

Robert Swenson: Awesome photo…. Waiting for the creeks to rise.
Dennis DeBruler: Robert Swenson So they are waiting for the wet season so that there is enough water in the Ohio River to provide the needed draft. I remembered that this was well before the 9-foot channel project was built. But I never realized how they queued up waiting for the rains to come.
Dale Zubik: Largest Inland Port at one Time
[That has to be the Duquesne Incline in the foreground. And this bridge in the background.]

 

John Schalcosky posted

A frozen Monongahela with the Wabash & Smithfield Street Bridge in the background. #Pittsburgh February of 1934

(The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh)

Today's view from Smithfield Street Bridge. You can see the two piers.

Street View

Since the bridge over the Ohio River is still standing, we can get a closeup of the decorative finals on top of the towers.