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Charleroi-Monessen Bridge

Washington County, Pennsylvania, and Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
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Photos 

3/4 View From East

Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record

View photos at Library of Congress

Map 

Street View 

Description 

It is significant as a rare surviving example of a long, multiple-span metal truss bridge. Built as a toll bridge to carry vehicular, pedestrian, and trolley traffic across the Monongahela River, the bridge improved regional transportation and contributed toward the economic development of Monongahela River valley towns. Construction of a bridge across the Monongahela River at North Charleroi surmounted a formidable natural barrier and completed a regional street railroad transportation network that stretched from urban Pittsburgh to developing Westmoreland County.

- Historic American Engineering Record

Facts 

Overview
Through truss bridge over Monongahela River on PA 2018 in Charleroi
Location
Charleroi, Washington County, Pennsylvania, and Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Status
Demolished by PennDOT A Few Minutes Before 9:00 AM EDT, July 11, 2011
History
Built 1906 by the Mercantile Bridge Co.; rehabilitated 1986; closed 2009
Builders
- American Bridge Co. of New York
- Mercantile Bridge Co.
Design
Pennsylvania through truss with Parker Truss spans on either side
Dimensions
Length of largest span: 400.0 ft.
Total length: 1,810.1 ft.
Deck width: 22.6 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 12.0 ft.
Recognition
Posted to the National Register of Historic Places on June 22, 1988
Approximate latitude, longitude
+40.15167, -79.90500   (decimal degrees)
40°09'06" N, 79°54'18" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
17/593262/4445165 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Monongahela
Inventory numbers
PA 62 2018 0010 0089 (Pennsylvania Bridge Management System number)
NRHP 88000812 (National Register of Historic Places reference number)
PANBI 34914 (Pennsylvania BRKEY bridge number on the 2011 NBI)
BH 31746 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Inspection (as of 04/2008)
Deck condition rating: Satisfactory (6 out of 9)
Superstructure condition rating: Poor (4 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Appraisal: Structurally deficient
Sufficiency rating: 44.5 (out of 100)
Average daily traffic (as of 2008)
10,349

Categories 

American Bridge Co. (1,079)
Built 1906 (535)
Built during 1900s (6,192)
Charleroi, Pennsylvania (1)
HAER documented (1,096)
Have street view (21,615)
Historic Bridge Weekend 2009 (19)
Lost (18,321)
Lost 2011 (390)
Lost during 2010s (1,877)
Mercantile Bridge Co. (2)
Monongahela River (41)
NR-listed (2,839)
 Navigable waterway (1,991)
Owned by state (13,325)
Pennsylvania (3,991)
Pennsylvania truss (401)
Pin-connected (2,992)
Span length 250-500 feet (1,072)
Steel grate deck (429)
Structurally deficient (18,298)
Through truss (12,775)
Total length 1000-2500 feet (1,630)
Truss (29,238)
Washington County, Pennsylvania (136)
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania (68)

Update Log 

  • July 11, 2011: Updated by Nathan Holth: This bridge has been demolished.
  • March 8, 2011: Updated by Nathan Holth: Added Planned Demolition Date.
  • September 29, 2010: New photos from Jason Smith
  • November 29, 2009: New photos from Brian McKee
  • July 22, 2009: New photos from James Baughn
  • July 11, 2009: New photos from Brian McKee
  • June 25, 2009: Updated by Ian Anderson
  • April 18, 2009: Posted HAER photos

Sources 

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Comments 

Charleroi-Monessen Bridge
Posted January 21, 2013, by Nathan Holth (form3 [at] historicbridges [dot] org)

If you look at the photo in the below post, you most certainly will need a...

Charleroi-Monessen Bridge
Posted January 20, 2013, by Tom (tommyboy6181 [at] gmail [dot] com)

Here is an article that explains some of the issues that the contractor has run into with the reconstruction project.

Story Link: http://www.observer-reporter.com/article/20130115/NEWS01/130...

The new bridge will be a haunched steel girder design, similar to the Veterans Bridge in Downtown Pittsburgh. All of the piers have been replaced and use formliners to simulate textured stone.

High quality picture of the new bridge under construction:

http://orweb.sx2.atl.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=...

Charleroi-Monessen Bridge
Posted January 20, 2013, by Tom (tommyboy6181 [at] gmail [dot] com)

When this bridge reopens in 2013, it will be renamed the Gov. John K. Tener Memorial Bridge.

Link to story:

http://www.pahouse.com/pr/058091410.asp

Charleroi-Monessen Bridge
Posted July 12, 2011, by Anonymous

The implosion, with slow-mo.

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-633682?hpt=hp_bn1

Charleroi-Monessen Bridge
Posted July 12, 2011, by James Gonzalski

Saw this video of the bridge's demolition on the Weather Channel's website:

http://www.weather.com/outlook/videos/raw-historic-bridge-is...

Charleroi-Monessen Bridge
Posted March 27, 2009, by Sam (sam [dot] bowerman [at] gmail [dot] com)

Came across a news article about the bridge, it was closed last month due to structural problems, and now it appears this bridge's fate is in question.

http://www.observer-reporter.com/OR/Story/03-27-Charleroi-Br...

And here's historicbridges.org's website on the bridge, with pictures.

http://www.historicbridges.org/pennsylvania/charleroi/index....