Albert Gallatin Memorial Bridge

The Albert Gallatin Memorial Bridge (also known as the Point Marion Bridge[2]) was a cantilever truss bridge that carried vehicular traffic across the Monongahela River in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Built in 1930 to replace a ferry,[3] it connected Point Marion in Fayette County and Dunkard Township in Greene County. It was named in honor of U.S. Senator, and longtime U.S. Treasury Secretary and diplomat Albert Gallatin, whose Friendship Hill homestead is nearby.

Albert Gallatin Memorial Bridge
1930 bridge (left) the day after its closing, with its replacement on the right.
Coordinates	39°44′21″N 79°54′12″W
Carries	PA 88
Crosses	Monongahela River
Named for	Albert Gallatin
Maintained by	PennDOT
Characteristics
Total length	810 ft (250 m)
Width	28 ft (8.5 m)
History
Constructed by	Point Marion Bridge Company
Marion Bridge
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Side of the bridge
Location	Pennsylvania Route 88 over the Monongahela River, Point Marion, Pennsylvania
Area	less than one acre
Built	1930
Architectural style	Cantilever through truss
MPS	Highway Bridges Owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Transportation TR
NRHP reference No.	88000841[1]
Added to NRHP	June 22, 1988
Albert Gallatin Memorial Bridge Location of the Albert Gallatin Memorial Bridge in Pennsylvania Show map of Pennsylvania Albert Gallatin Memorial Bridge Albert Gallatin Memorial Bridge (the United States) Show map of the United States

History

The original bridge was constructed in 1930 by the Point Marion Bridge Company and rehabilitated in 1976.[4]

It was a historically significant bridge due to the relatively unusual cantilever truss design and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the second oldest bridge of this type in the state.[5]

It was replaced by the new Point Marion Bridge in October 2009.[2] The old bridge was imploded on November 16, 2009.[6]

Photo gallery

• 
  West end of the 1930 bridge.
• 
  East end of the 1930 bridge.
• 
  West end of the 1930 and 2009 bridges.
• 
  The new bridge standing alone in 2010.

See also

• List of crossings of the Monongahela River

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
2. Jon Schmitz (October 23, 2009). "Officials dedicate new bridge - Parker truss span replaces structure labeled worst in the state". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved March 21, 2010.
3. "Point Marion Bridge Interpretive Panel" (PDF). Cultural Heritage Research Services. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 8, 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2010.
4. "Point Marion Bridge - Albert Gallatin Memorial Bridge". 2009. Archived from the original on November 23, 2010. Retrieved March 22, 2010.
5. "Canary Systems - Project Profile – Bridge Abutment Construction Monitoring" (PDF). Spring 2009. Retrieved March 22, 2010.
6. "Old bridge at Point Marion brought down in controlled implosion". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. November 16, 2009. Retrieved March 22, 2010.

External links

• National Register nomination form

Media related to Albert Gallatin Memorial Bridge at Wikimedia Commons