History of the Sewickley Bridge – Sewickley PA
Sewickley Bridge No 1 – 1911 to 1980 – Old Photograph
Below is a short history of events that impacted the Sewickley Bridge I (1911 – 1980). Sewickley Bridge II was opened October 21, 1981.
On November 24, 1894, according to a report by the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER),:
“The Judge [Honorable Judge Morrison Foster]spoke at length on the great need of the adjoining communities for a new river bridge. He pointed out that there was no wagon bridge over the Ohio between Pittsburgh and Wheeling for a distance of 100 miles; that the existing ferry services on the river were unreliable and often abandoned for days during the winter months; that many farmers on the heights north of the town were adverse to coming to Sewickley because of the steep grades to and from the town and river; and that the Ohio River practically divided the county without means of communication. These adversities naturally resulted in financial losses and depreciation of property on both sides of the river. The Judge also noted that the County Commissioners had the power to erect a bridge by an act passed by the General Assembly in 1891.”
| Year | Period | Event Description |
| 1894 | November 24 | A “Call” for a public meeting |
| 1894 | December | Committees formed to petition for a bridge at Sewickley |
| 1895 | January | Subsequent meetings |
| 1895 | Spring | Bridge committee petitions Common Plea Court No. 2 in Allegheny County for a bridge |
| 1895 | Summer | County Commissioners hold meetings with bridge committee, interested citizens, and local officals from Sewickley and Coraopolis |
| 1897 | January 22 | Vehicular bridge between Rochester and Monaca opens for traffic |
| 1906 | November 12 | New petition presented to the Court of Quarter Sessions of Allegheny County |
| 1906 | December 6 | Court of Quarter Sessions accepts recommendation of Viewers to construct the Bridge |
| 1906 | December 17 | Grand Jury approves project giving the County Commissioners the authority to construct the Bridge |
| 1907 | June 28 | Honorable William F. Taft, Secretary of War appoints Board of Government Engineers to examine plans and proposed bridge site |
| 1908 | February 6 | Secretary Taft issues building permit for construction of Sewickley Bridge |
| 1908 | April 10 | County Commissioners file Concurrence with Court of Quarter Sessions and appropriate funds for construction in 1909 of a new Sewickley Bridge |
| 1909 | July 2 | Contracts issued for masonry (Piers) to Adam Laidlaw Company for $98,907.25; for superstructure to Fort Pitt Bridge Works for $372,400.00. Completion date set . . , November 30, 1910. |
| 1909 | July 21 | “A Jubilee Celebration” Construction begins on bridge |
| 1911 | September 19 | The opening of the Sewickley Bridge |
| 1913 | Pittsburgh Railways Company establishes streetcar service Pittsburgh-Sewickley | |
| 1928 | Pennsylvania Railroad moves tracks to river bank | |
| 1929 | Dashields Dam completed | |
| 1929 | Original wood deck replaced with new asphaltic wearing surface | |
| 1932 | October | New north approach to Sewickley Bridge opens |
| 1936 | March | Sewickley Bridge withstands major flood |
| 1936 | 25 year old Sewickley Bridge repaired and painted | |
| 1948 | Major repairs are made on the Sewickley Bridge | |
| 1952 | Greater Pittsburgh Airport opens | |
| 1961 | Allegheny County shares with Penn DOT the maintenance responsibility of the Sewickley Bridge | |
| 1969 | Penn DOT takes over ownership and total maintenance responsibility of the Bridge | |
| 1969 | Green Engineering Company makes in-depth inspection of Bridge for Penn DOT and recommends repairs | |
| 1974 | Painters walk off job, as concrete sidewalk falls from bridge | |
| 1974 | Penn DOT closes sidewalks and removes sidewalk slabs | |
| 1975 | Federal Highway Administration and Penn DOT officials inspect the Bridge | |
| 1975 | Penn DOT posts the Bridge for three (3) ton load limit | |
| 1976 | Penn DOT posts the Bridge for 10 MPH speed limit | |
| 1976 | Summer | Richardson, Gordon & Assoc. makes an in-depth inspection of the Bridge for Penn DOT |
| 1976 | September 3 | The new 1-79 Bridge at Neville Island opens |
| 1977 | January 28 | 1-79 Bridge cracks and is closed by Penn DOT |
| 1977 | January 30 | Sewickley Bridge is closed by Penn DOT |
| 1977 | March | Governor Shapp orders emergency bridge repairs |
| 1977 | April 22 | Richardson, Gordon and Assoc. authorized by Penn DOT to make preliminary designs for a new Bridge |
| 1977 | May 20 | Sewickley Bridge reopens with restrictions (3 Ton weight limit, 10 miles per hour) |
| 1980 | May 14 | Sewickley Bridge I was closed to traffic permanently |
Sewickley Bridge No 1 – 1911 to 1980 – Old Photograph
Sewickley Bridge No 1 – 1911 to 1980 – Old Photograph
Sewickley Bridge No 1 – 1911 to 1980 – Old Bridge Drawing
Sewickley Bridge No 1 – 1911 to 1980 – Old Bridge Drawing
Sewickley Bridge No 1 – 1911 to 1980 – Old Bridge Drawing
sources: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pnp/habshaer/pa/pa0000/pa0091/data/pa0091data.pdf
http://www.loc.gov/search/?q=sewickley&fa=online-format%3Aimage http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sewickley_Bridge