McKeesport Connecting Railroad Bridge

McKeesport Connecting Railroad Bridge
Other name(s)	Riverton Bridge
Carries	Great Allegheny Passage
Crosses	Monongahela River
Locale	McKeesport, Pennsylvania and West Mifflin, Pennsylvania
Design	Truss bridge
Longest span	324 feet (99 m)
Clearance below	49.2 feet (15.0 m)
Opened	1890
Coordinates	40°21′25″N 79°50′51″W / 40.3569°N 79.8474°W / 40.3569; -79.8474Coordinates: 40°21′25″N 79°50′51″W / 40.3569°N 79.8474°W / 40.3569; -79.8474

The McKeesport Connecting Railroad Bridge is a bridge that spans the Monongahela River between McKeesport, and Duquesne, PA

History

The bridge originally was served by the Pennsylvania Union Railroad and connected the U.S. Steel Duquesne Works and the National Tube Works in McKeesport. In the late 50's/early 60's the large blast furnace Dorothy (named for the U.S. Steel president's wife) was built to supply steel to both plants, replacing many smaller furnaces. In the 1980s, during the decline of the American steel industry, both mills were closed and razed. The Bridge remained unused for several years, until 2007, when it became part of the Great Allegheny Passage ^[1] bike trail from the C&O Canel in Cumberland MD to Pittsburgh PA. The bridge is next to the McKeesport - Duquesne vehicular bridge.

See also

• List of crossings of the Monongahela River

References

1. ^ "Great Allegheny Passage". 2010. http://www.atatrail.org.