The Fort Pitt Bridge is a steel, double-decked bowstring arch bridge that spans the Monongahela River near its confluence with the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania . It carries Interstate 376 between the Fort Pitt Tunnel and Downtown Pittsburgh . Opened in June 1959 as a replacement for the Point Bridge , the Fort Pitt Bridge was the world's first computer-designed bowstring arch bridge and double-decked bowstring arch bridge. The bridge is known for its difficult lane changes , especially on the lower level, often requiring people to go from the extreme left lane across two lanes to the extreme right lane in only 700 feet. The upper level is more forgiving for some routes but still requires a full span lane change in 700 feet to get from the south side entrance to the downtown exits.
17-398: The $ 6.305 million Fort Pitt Bridge, designed by George S. Richardson of Richardson, Gordon, & Associates, opened at 11 a.m. on June 19, 1959, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by Gov. David L. Lawrence before a caravan, including Mayor Thomas Gallagher and mayoral candidate Joseph M. Barr , was driven across while a city fireboat gave a hose salute upriver. Its two predecessor bridges,
34-633: A British uniform, but in reality, he had been sent by the Governor of Virginia and is wearing the uniform of an officer in the Virginia Militia . In December 1753, at age 21, Washington was asked by Governor Dinwiddie to carry a British ultimatum to the French on the Ohio frontier. Washington delivered the message at Fort Le Boeuf in present-day Waterford. The message, which went unheeded because he delivered it to
51-678: A heart attack at the age of 92 at his home in Colorado and was buried in Waterford, Pennsylvania . In 1987, the Engineer's Society of Western Pennsylvania established the George S. Richardson medal, which has since been awarded annually for an outstanding achievement in bridge engineering. Waterford, Pennsylvania Waterford is a borough in Erie County , Pennsylvania , United States. The population
68-435: A household in the borough was $ 37,875, and the median income for a family was $ 40,368. Males had a median income of $ 32,946 versus $ 21,202 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $ 17,135. About 4.5% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line , including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over. Waterford is said to contain the only statue of George Washington wearing
85-450: A recognizable landmark to show that the game would be partially set in and around Pittsburgh. During the game, the characters use the bridge in the distance as a landmark for their destination out of the city. George S. Richardson (engineer) George Sherwood Richardson (1896–1988) was an American engineer known for his elegant bridges, innovative construction techniques and skillful planning of highways. Designer of many bridges in
102-567: Is part of a sequence from The Song Remains the Same (1976), a documentary of Led Zeppelin 's 1973 tour. Many other Pittsburgh landmarks are also shown, including the Liberty Bridge and its tunnels . It also features prominently in the 2012 film The Perks of Being a Wallflower . The bridge also appears in the 1993 film Striking Distance and the 2011 film Abduction . The early promotional images for The Last of Us used this bridge as
119-560: Is water. Lake LeBoeuf lies immediately south of the borough and is part of the French Creek watershed, draining south to the Allegheny River . As of the census of 2000, there were 1,449 people, 558 households, and 409 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,189.3 inhabitants per square mile (459.2/km ). There were 590 housing units at an average density of 484.3 per square mile (187.0/km ). The racial makeup of
136-589: The American Bridge Company before he joined the Allegheny County Department of Public Works in 1924, where he went on to rise to be assistant chief engineer by the time he left in 1937. In 1939 he founded his own firm, as George S. Richardson, Consulting Engineer; after taking on partners, the firm was renamed to Richardson, Gordon & Associates in 1955. It has been involved in the planning and design of many major highway projects across
153-687: The Pittsburgh and Allegheny County areas in the 20th century, he has been called "the dean of Pittsburgh bridge engineers". Born in Georgetown, Colorado , he served in World War I prior to graduating from the University of Colorado in 1920. After a stint with the Wyoming Department of Highways and time on the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania , Richardson moved to Pittsburgh in 1922 to work for
170-608: The United States. In the 1980s, the company was acquired by international architectural and engineering conglomerate HDR, Inc. Among other notable work, the firm created the erection process and custom equipment used to put up the Eero Saarinen -designed Saint Louis Gateway Arch . Richardson retired in 1973 and moved from Pittsburgh in 1975, splitting time between homes in Tucson, Arizona and Colorado Springs, Colorado . He died of
187-495: The borough center as High Street. US 19 leads north 15 miles (24 km) to downtown Erie and south Meadville , while PA 97 leads north 14.5 miles (23.3 km) to Erie by a more easterly route and southeast 8 miles (13 km) to Union City . According to the United States Census Bureau , Waterford borough has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.2 km ), of which 0.02 square miles (0.04 km ), or 1.18%,
SECTION 10
#1732851900245204-544: The borough was 98.76% White , 0.28% African American , 0.21% Native American , 0.07% Asian , 0.14% from other races , and 0.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.48% of the population. There were 558 households, out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.7% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 21.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who
221-519: The original Point Bridge (1877–1924) and its replacement of the same name (aka Point Bridge II, 1927–1959), spanned even closer to the aforementioned confluence from West Carson Street (near the Duquesne Incline ) to Water St. (now Fort Pitt Blvd.), near the tip of Point State Park . The Point Bridge closed two days after the opening of the Fort Pitt Bridge. Still, it remained standing until it
238-744: The wrong person, called for the French to abandon their development of the Ohio Country to the south. The two colonial powers were heading toward worldwide conflict, the Seven Years' War , known as the French and Indian War in North America. The area roughly bounded by North Park Row, High Street, West First Street, and Walnut Street comprises the Waterford Borough Historic District . The Eagle Hotel and Waterford Covered Bridge, along with
255-592: Was 1,475 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Erie Metropolitan Statistical Area . Waterford is an independent municipality located entirely within (and surrounded by) Waterford Township and is located near the geographic center of the township. Waterford is located southeast of the center of Erie County at 41°56′37″N 79°59′2″W / 41.94361°N 79.98389°W / 41.94361; -79.98389 (41.943648, -79.984012). U.S. Route 19 and Pennsylvania Route 97 pass through
272-450: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.01. In the borough the population was spread out, with 27.1% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males. The median income for
289-653: Was dismantled (along with the connected Manchester Bridge ) in 1970. Until the opening of the Fort Pitt Tunnels on September 1, 1960, outbound traffic was routed onto West Carson St. (PA 837 North), heading towards the West End . At the time of opening, the bridge contained 8,066 tons of steel, 4,950 tons of structural carbon steel, and 1,305 tons of steel reinforcing rods. The contractors included U.S. Steel's American Bridge Co., John F. Casey Co., Dinardo Inc., Fort Pitt Bridge Co., and J.C. Jackanic Inc. The Fort Pitt Bridge
#244755