The Smithfield Street Bridge: Strengthening a Hometown Historic Landmark That’s Here to Stay

There has been a river crossing at Pittsburgh’s Smithfield Street for more than 200 years. The structure spanning the Monongahela River in downtown Pittsburgh today is the third in a series of bridges at that location. In 1818, a wooden bridge was constructed to connect downtown to the South Side, which was likely the first major bridge to cross any of the three rivers. In 1845, it was destroyed by Pittsburgh’s Great Fire in only 10 minutes. The famed bridge engineer John Augustus Roebling began rebuilding it in 1846 as a wirerope cable suspension bridge.

The city grew quickly after Andrew Carnegie began making steel here in 1875, and by 1881, the Roebling bridge couldn’t accommodate the increased bridge and river traffic. In March 1883, the new lenticular truss bridge designed by Gustav Lindenthal opened. The bridge was widened in 1889 and 1911, and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. PennDOT considered demolishing the bridge in the early 1990s, but officials and community members lobbied to keep the historic structure, and instead it underwent a major rehabilitation in 1994-1995

Advantage Steel & Construction was proud to be selected to keep Pittsburgh's oldest surviving river bridge, and one of only about 50 lenticular truss bridges still standing in the US, strong for future generations. The Team was contracted by PennDOT District 11-0 to perform steel repair and rehabilitation, jacking and bearing replacement, and removal and replacement of the sidewalk on both sides of the bridge with epoxy overlay. Other work included structural steel repairs, spot paint, concrete repairs, and new overhead traffic signs.

The project was a complex undertaking, requiring versatility, resilience, and careful planning. Smithfield Street Bridge is in the heart of the city, and managing foot, vehicular, and public transit traffic was a challenge. The proximity to buildings and apartments meant that the Advantage Team needed to closely monitor potential hazards that could pose risks to the public such as the lead paint cleaning process.

Despite these challenges, the Advantage Steel Team successfully completed the bridge rehabilitation in July 2024. We are proud of our role in preserving a piece of Pittsburgh’s history.

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