Donald R. Lobaugh Bridge

Coordinates: 40°40′07″N 79°41′32″W / 40.6686°N 79.6921°W / 40.6686; -79.6921
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Donald R. Lobaugh Bridge
View from Harrison Hills overlook.
Coordinates40°40′07″N 79°41′32″W / 40.6686°N 79.6921°W / 40.6686; -79.6921
Carries4 lanes of PA 356
CrossesAllegheny River
LocaleBuffalo Township and Allegheny Township
Other name(s)Freeport Bridge
Maintained byPennDOT District 12-0
Characteristics
Designcantilever bridge
MaterialSteel
Longest span426.0 feet (129.8 m)
Piers in water2
Clearance below47.0 feet (14.3 m)
History
Opened1965
Location
Map

The Donald R. Lobaugh Bridge (commonly known as the Freeport Bridge) is a cantilever bridge that carries vehicular traffic across the Allegheny River between Buffalo and Allegheny townships in Pennsylvania.

History[edit]

Built in 1965,[1] the bridge marks the boundary between suburban Pittsburgh and the more rural Upper Allegheny. The structure replaced the 1889 Garvers Ferry Bridge, which was extremely deteriorated by the 1950s and that was nearly destroyed in a 1959 barge collision. The bridge's namesake is Donald R. Lobaugh, a Medal of Honor recipient from World War II.

The bridge was listed as having a poor deck and substructure and having serious deterioration of its superstructure before having $5 million of emergency steel repairs in 2006/2007. Before the repairs the weight limit was 3 tons; this was increased to a legal load limit of 40 tons after the repairs.[2]

The bridge is maintained by Pennsylvania Department of Transport 12-0 and was rehabilitated over a period from 2010 to 2013.[3]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Bridges and Tunnels of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania - Freeport Bridge". July 4, 2005. Retrieved February 7, 2010.
  2. ^ Steve Levin (August 14, 2007). "PennDOT: If bridge is open, it's safe to cross". Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
  3. ^ "Freeport Bridge Project". Archived from the original on February 7, 2011. Retrieved March 3, 2010.