Charles Anderson Memorial Bridge | |
|---|---|
 The bridge in 2007 | |
| Coordinates | 40°26′04″N 79°56′59″W / 40.43444°N 79.94972°W |
| Crosses | Junction Hollow |
| Named for | Charles Anderson, Pittsburgh city councilor |
| Characteristics | |
| Material | Steel |
| Total length | 780 feet (240 m)[1] |
| Width | 58 feet (18 m)[1] |
| Longest span | 360 feet (110 m)[2] |
| No. of spans | 3[1] |
| History | |
| Constructed by | Fort Pitt Bridge Company[3] |
| Construction cost | $772,000[4] |
| Opened | April 4, 1940[5] |
Charles Anderson Memorial Bridge | |
| Built | 1938–1940 |
| Architectural style | Streamline Moderne |
| Part of | Schenley Park Historic District (ID85003506) |
| Designated CP | November 13, 1985 |
| Location | |
 | |
The Charles Anderson Memorial Bridge is a steel deck truss bridge located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The bridge carries the four-lane roadway of Boulevard of the Allies across a ravine known as Junction Hollow, connecting the neighborhoods of Central Oakland and South Oakland with Schenley Park.[6] The bridge also spans the Junction Hollow Trail and P&W Subdivision railroad tracks which run along the bottom of the valley.
The Anderson Bridge is a notable example of a Wichert truss, a rare bridge type with few surviving examples.[2] The Wichert truss is a type of modified continuous truss using a quadrilateral section over each support to make it statically determinate. The design was patented by Pittsburgh civil engineer Edward M. Wichert in 1930.[7] The Anderson Bridge is one of two Wichert truss bridges in Pittsburgh along with the Homestead Grays Bridge.
The bridge is a contributing property in the Schenley Park Historic District.[1][8] It was also assessed by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office to be eligible for individual listing on the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion C, design/construction.[9]
The current steel bridge was completed in 1940 and is the second bridge at this location. It replaced the former Wilmot Street Bridge, which was built in 1907.
On February 1, 2023, the bridge was closed for emergency repairs, with officials announcing a three-year closure for rehabilitation shortly thereafter.[10]
- ^ a b c d Pennsylvania Historic Bridge Inventory & Evaluation: Charles Anderson Memorial Bridge. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Bureau of Environmental Quality. March 1997.
- ^ a b "Charles Anderson Memorial Bridge". HistoricBridges.org. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
- ^ "Start Scheduled for Wilmot Span". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. May 2, 1939. Retrieved August 28, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Diagram Of New Wilmot St. Bridge Traffic Separator Which Opens In June". Pittsburgh Press. March 17, 1940. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
- ^ "New Schenley Park Bridge Opens for One-Way Traffic". Pittsburgh Press. April 5, 1940. Retrieved August 29, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Pittsburgh Neighborhoods Map". City of Pittsburgh. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
- ^ "The Wichert Truss". Historic Highway Bridges in Maryland: 1631–1960, Historic Context Report (PDF). Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration. 1995. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
- ^ "Charles Anderson Bridge Project Update: January 2022" (PDF). City of Pittsburgh. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
- ^ "2017 Metal Truss Bridge Reevaluation" (PDF). Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. 2017. p. 21. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
- ^ "Pittsburgh bridge that abruptly shut down for emergency repairs will now be closed for 3 years". WPXI. March 17, 2023. Retrieved March 19, 2023.