W.D. Mansfield Memorial Bridge

Bridge in Pennsylvania and Dravosburg, Pennsylvania

40°20′43″N 79°53′08″W / 40.3452°N 79.8856°W / 40.3452; -79.8856Carries4 divided lanes of trafficCrossesMonongahela RiverLocaleMcKeesport, Pennsylvania and Dravosburg, PennsylvaniaOther name(s)Dravosburg BridgeCharacteristicsDesignCantilever bridgeLongest span480.0 feet (146 m)Clearance below65.3 feet (19.9 m)HistoryOpenedApril 24, 1951^[1]Location Map

The W.D. Mansfield Memorial Bridge, commonly known as the Dravosburg Bridge, is a cantilever bridge that carries vehicular traffic across the Monongahela River between McKeesport, Pennsylvania and Dravosburg, Pennsylvania in the United States.

It is a high-level bridge that passes over railyard, industrial sites, and Route 837, to connect Fifth Avenue in McKeesport and Richland Avenue in Dravosburg.

History

This structure replaced the low-level 1889 Dravosburg–Reynoldton Bridge. The steel from the Wabash Bridge, demolished in 1948, was used in the construction of this bridge.^[2]

On September 18, 1951, Buncher Co. of Pittsburgh won the demolition contract via open bidding, with a total of $23,971. The losing bids on the project stretched from $37,000–$93,200. In order to not interfere with boating traffic, the old span's pilings would be required to be removed to a point 19 feet (5.8 m) below the surface of the Monongahela River.^[3] Demolition of the 1889 bridge began after the formal opening of the replacement bridge. On December 28, 1951, the final span of the steel structure came down after torches melted the Dravosburg side's girders. A tugboat attached to a barge pulled the structure down into the river on the second attempt.^[4]

As built, the Mansfield Bridge carried trolley tracks of Pittsburgh Railways route 56 McKeesport via 2nd Avenue. The trolley line was replaced by a bus on September 5, 1963.

The bridge is named for McKeesport politician William D. Mansfield, who served as an Allegheny County Commissioner and later as a State Senator.^[5]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to W.D. Mansfield Memorial Bridge.

^ "Dravosburg Bridge Open Tomorrow". The Pittsburgh Press. April 23, 1951. p. 2. Retrieved May 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Bennett, Joe (June 5, 1977). "Pittsburgh's Hard-Luck Bridge". The Pittsburgh Press Roto. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
^ "Dravosburg Bridge Bids Announced". The Pittsburgh Press. September 18, 1951. p. 14. Retrieved May 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Dravosburg Bridge Drops Into River and History". The Pittsburgh Press. December 29, 1951. p. 2. Retrieved May 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Togyer, Jason (May 3, 2013). "Hey, Answer Person: Who Was William D. Mansfield?". Tube City Almanac. McKeesport, Penna.: Tube City Online. Retrieved July 7, 2018.