George Westinghouse Bridge

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Westinghouse, George, Memorial Bridge
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George Westinghouse Bridge at the western terminus of North Versailles Township
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LocationUS 30.svg US 30 (Lincoln Highway) at Turtle Creek, North Versailles Township, East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Coordinates 40°23′38″N79°50′16″W / 40.39389°N 79.83778°W / 40.39389; -79.83778
Area1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built1929-September 10, 1932 [1]
Architect Vernon R. Covell and George S. Richardson, engineers; Stanley Roush, architect
NRHP reference No. 77001120 [2]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPMarch 28, 1977
Designated PHLF1984 [3]

George Westinghouse Memorial Bridge in East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, carries U.S. Route 30, the Lincoln Highway, over the Turtle Creek Valley near to where it joins the Monongahela River Valley east of Pittsburgh. The reinforced concrete open-spandrel deck arch bridge has a total length of 1,598 feet (487 m) comprising five spans. The longest, central span is 460 feet (140 m), with the deck height 240 feet (73 m) above the valley floor, for a time the world's longest concrete arch span structure.[ citation needed ] It cost $1.75 million ($40.3 million in 2024 dollars). The design engineers were Vernon R. Covell and George S. Richardson, with architectural design by Stanley Roush. The pylons at the ends of the bridges feature Art Deco reliefs by Frank Vittor. [4]

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The bridge is named for George Westinghouse (October 6, 1846 – March 12, 1914), the American entrepreneur and engineer. Nearby was the famous Westinghouse Electric Corporation East Pittsburgh Works, which is now an industrial park. Notable attractions visible while driving across the bridge include the Edgar Thomson Steel Works (U.S. Steel Mon Valley Works) and Kennywood Park. [4]

The bridge was featured in the 2011 film Warrior starring Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy.

A photo of the bridge appears in the 2024 Oscar award winning film, The Brutalist.

See also

References

  1. "The George Westinghouse Bridge, Pittsburgh's engineering marvel". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. October 10, 2014. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
  2. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  3. Historic Landmark Plaques 1968-2009 (PDF). Pittsburgh, PA: Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation. 2010. Retrieved August 5, 2011.
  4. 1 2 Donnelly, Lu (2010). Buildings of Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania. University of Virginia Press. p. 82. ISBN   978-0-8139-2823-4.

Further reading