Bakerstown Bridge Repaired and Reopened

The Bakerstown Bridge in Allegheny County has been repaired and reopened.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09329/1016408-100.stm

Western Pennsylvania Bridge Projects

PennDOT has announced 33 new bridge preservation, rehabilitation, and replacement projects that will take place in Western Pennsylvania.

The news appears to be mostly good for historic bridge preservationists.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09327/1015746-455.stm

Meeting to Discuss the Future of the Ohl Street Bridge

Mercer County, PA officials and engineers held a meeting to discuss restoring or replacing the Ohl Street Bridge in Greenville, Mercer County, PA. The 100-year-old through truss crosses the Shenango River.

http://www.sharon-herald.com/archivesearch/local_story_323221424.html

2000 Hits!

Bridgemapper is proud to announce its 2000th hit! Here's to many more visitors, bridges, and site improvements!

New Host for Bridgemapper.com

We apologize for any inconvenience caused by Bridgemapper's downtime this morning. We have upgraded to a new host, iPage, and hope to add new features in the coming months. The first great news to report with our new host: no more advertising!

Old Point Marion Bridge Demolished Today

The Point Marion Bridge was demolished this morning:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09320/1013926-100.stm

Charleroi-Monessen Bridge to be Replaced

State transportation planners have reached a consensus with preservationists to demolish and replace the historic Charleroi-Monessen Bridge (Vance DeiCas Bridge).

The pin-connected Pennsylvania truss spans the Monongahela River between Washington and Westmoreland Counties in Pennsylvania. The 1907 bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

http://www.observer-reporter.com/or/localnews/11-13-2009-Charleroi-Monessen-Bridge-Agreement

Old Point Marion Bridge to be Demolished on Monday

Demolition of the Old Point Marion Bridge (Albert Gallatin Memorial Bridge) has been postponed to Monday, November 16. The National Register listed bridge, built in 1930, is the third oldest thru cantilever bridge in Pennsylvania.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09317/1013235-100.stm

New States and Counties

Bridgemapper is pleased to announce the addition of three new states on the site: Indiana, Kentucky, and North Carolina.

Since these states have fewer bridges, the maps are by state instead of divided by county. Click on one of these states to view all of the available bridges in that state.

Also added to the site are four new counties in Ohio: Franklin, Gallia, Lawrence, and Pickaway Counties, as well as new bridges in Washington County, PA.

New Name for the Rochester-Monaca Bridge

The Monaca-Rochester Bridge has been renamed to the Rochester-Monaca Bridge.

The name of the bridge is decided each year by the winner of the Rochester and Monaca football game.

The bridge is a continuous cantilever truss that opened in 1986. Like the nearby Vanport Bridge, the top chord is flat and the bottom chord curves downward to form points over intermediate piers. The bridge replaced an unusual three-tower cantilever similar to the Ambridge-Aliquippa Bridge. That bridge, built in 1930, replaced a suspension bridge similar to the 1905 Newell Bridge, located just over the Ohio/West Virginia Border. The Rochester-Monaca Bridge is one of the few major modern truss bridges in Pennsylvania.

Larman Mill Road Bridge Collapses

On October 31, 2009, a propane truck driver disobeyed the 5 ton posting and crossed the Larman Mill Road Bridge. Engineers post weight limits for good reason. Not surprisingly, the truck (as well as the bridge) ended up in the creek. The Larman Mill Road Bridge served a lightly traveled gravel road, used by only 25 vehicles per day. The Pennsylvania Historic Bridge Inventory attributed the bridge to the Farris Engineering Company of Pittsburgh since it is similar to another bridge, a now-demolished SR 3003 bridge over the same creek. At the time of the PAHBI in 1997, PennDOT owned 6 pony truss bridges in Fayette County. In less than ten years, ALL were demolished. In 2009, the similar county-owned bridge was demolished due to a lawbreaking truck. Given the low use of the bridge, it is unlikely that a new bridge will be built in its place.

Links:
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/breaking/s_650909.html
http://kdka.com/local/bridge.collapse.fayette.2.1283460.html