Wabash Bridge (Pittsburgh)
The Wabash Bridge was a railroad bridge across the Monongahela River at Pittsburgh. It was constructed between 1902 and 1904 by railroad magnate George J. Gould for his Wabash Pittsburgh Terminal Railway.
Wabash Bridge | |
|---|---|
Wabash Bridge 1938 | |
| Coordinates | 40°26′13.51″N 80°0′26.49″W |
| Crosses | Monongahela River |
| Locale | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | cantilever through truss (removed) piers: rusticated stone |
| Material | Steel |
| Total length | 1,504 feet (458 m) |
| Longest span | 812 feet (247 m) |
| Piers in water | 2 |
| Clearance above | 46 feet (14 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | 1904 |
| Closed | 1946 (closed to traffic) 1948 (removed) |
| Location | |
The Wabash Bridge carried rail traffic from the elaborate Wabash Terminal in downtown Pittsburgh to the Wabash Tunnel through Mt. Washington. The rail cars were from the Wabash-Pittsburg Terminal Railroad, an ill-fated venture by George Jay Gould to compete with the Pennsylvania Railroad in Pittsburgh.
After less than half a century, the Wabash was considered a “hard luck” bridge, haunted by its history, and an eyesore. In 1946, a fire destroyed the terminal. The bridge had become a useless hulk, and was dismantled two years later. Some of its steel was melted down for use in the Dravosburg Bridge, which was being built in 1948.