The Washington Crossing Bridge, commonly known as the Fortieth Street Bridge, is an arch bridge that carries vehicular traffic across the Allegheny River between the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Lawrenceville and the suburb of Millvale.Martin, Park H. "City of Bridges." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, December 12, 1949, p. 27 (subscription required).Stearns, Robert. "Spans of Attention." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Pittsburgh Press, February 18, 1973, pp. 246-248 (subscription required)."Allegheny County's New Bridges." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Pittsburgh Post, December 30, 1924, p. 6 (subscription required). The bridge is decorated with the seals representing the original 13 states of the United States and that of Allegheny County. ()
History Erected between 1919 and late 1924,Thomas, Lillian. "Washington Crossing Bridge in dire need of a new paint job." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 4, 1999, p. 25 (subscription required). and officially opened on December 29, 1924,"Washington Crossing Bridge Dedication Attracts Many" (article with photo essay). Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Pittsburgh Post, December 30, 1924, p. 4 (subscription required)."New Bridges To Be Opened." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Gazette Times, December 28, 1924, Sec. 6: p. 5 (subscription required). the Washington Crossing Bridge was originally built to accommodate two lanes of traffic and one streetcar line. Its estimated cost upon completion was $2,344,000."5,000 Witness Opening of 2 New Bridges." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Gazette Times, December 30, 1924, p. 3 (subscription required).
A 1982 re-decking allowed for the creation of a reversible third automobile lane.
The bridge received its name because it is located at a historically significant site pertaining to George Washington's military career.Rimmel, William M. "Where Was Washington's Crossing?" Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, December 18, 1956, p. 31 (subscription required)."Bridge Opening Today Honors Memory of Washington, Surveyor-President." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Pittsburgh Post, December 29, 1924, p. 16 (subscription required). In 1753, then-Major Washington was dispatched to give French forces an ultimatum to negotiate for the return of the lands that today make up Western Pennsylvania to the British or to prepare for a military strike. Crossing the Allegheny on a wooden raft, Washington was nearly killed when his vessel overturned at this site.
See also List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in Pennsylvania List of crossings of the Allegheny River
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