Monongahela Connecting Railroad Bridge and Hot Metal Bridge - Pittsburgh, PA
Posted by: 
NorStar
N 40° 25.700 W 079° 57.643
17T E 588156 N 4475818
This bridge, also just called the Hot Metal Bridge, is a pair of truss bridges now carrying vehicular on one bridge and pedestrian traffic on the other, both once carrying railroad tracks.
Waymark Code: WM6YF8
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 08/05/2009
Views: 12
The Monongahela Connecting Railroad Bridge and Hot Metal Bridge is a pair of truss bridges that carry both vehicular and pedestrian traffic over the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh since 2000. Before this, these bridges once carried railroad tracks over the river.
Two sets of trusses sit on a common set of piers. Both are iron trusses and are very similar in appearance.
The trusses on the upstream side of the river, currently carrying traffic on Hot Metal Street, was known as the Monongahela Connecting Railroad bridge and carried two tracks of this short line railroad. This bridge was built in 1887 and is the older of the two. In 2000, the bridge was converted to a highway bridge and carries two lanes of traffic at the cost of $12 million.
The trusses on the downstream side of the river, currently carrying pedestrians and bikes over the river, is known as the Hot Metal Bridge and had previously carried one track between two furnaces (hence the name 'hot metal'). This bridge was built in 1900. In 2007, the bridge was modified to carry people, bikes and other modes at the cost of $10 million.
Today, the entire structure is often called the Hot Metal Bridge.
The coordinates are on the Hot Metal Bridge, about halfway across the river.
Sources:
Bridges and Tunnels of Allegheny County and Pittsburgh, PA
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visit link)
Wikipedia (Hot Metal Bridge)
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visit link)