The George D. Stuart Bridge (commonly known as the Tarentum Bridge or the New Kensington Bridge)[1] is a steel deck truss bridge that carries vehicular traffic across the Allegheny River between New Kensington and Tarentum in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.[2]
George D. Stuart Bridge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates | 40°35′49″N 79°45′18″W / 40.5969°N 79.7550°W |
| Carries | 4 lanes of  PA 366 |
| Crosses | Allegheny River |
| Locale | New Kensington and Tarentum |
| Other name(s) | Tarentum Bridge |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Deck truss bridge |
| Longest span | 428.0 feet (130.5 m) |
| Clearance below | 47.9 feet (14.6 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | 1952 |
| Location | |
 | |
The bridge was officially renamed as the George D. Stuart Bridge in 1974 by the Pennsylvania State Senate in recognition of the World War I and World War II-era and post-war service of George Donnell Stuart in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.[3][4][5][6]
History
editOriginally named the Tarentum–Valley Heights Bridge, the structure is sometimes referred to today as the New Kensington Bridge. From its opening in 1952 until 1961,[7] its maintenance was supported by a ten-cent toll.
The name of the bridge was changed by the Pennsylvania State Senate in 1974 to honor George Donnell Stuart,[8][9][10] a Republican who was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1944 and subsequently reelected in 1946 and 1948.[11] Stuart, who had also been a member of Pennsylvania's Joint Legislative Committee on Mental Health Laws from 1947 to 1948, was a Tarentum High School graduate who had served in the United States Army during World War I and in the United States Army Reserve during World War II prior to his election to the Pennsylvania House. A publication assistant with The Valley Daily News from 1919 to 1920, he had also served as a Justice of the Peace in Brackenridge, Pennsylvania from 1922 to 1925 prior to becoming the editor of the New Kensington newspaper, the Valley News Dispatch, a position he held for half a century, from 1921 to 1971. During his state legislative tenure, he became known for his advocacy for bridge construction along the Allegheny.[12]
See also
editReferences
edit
- ^ "Names and renames of old bridges." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 21, 2002, p. 22 (subscription required).
- ^ Niederberger, Mary. "'There's a saying in these parts...'" Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Pittsburgh Press, December 11, 1983, p. 150 (subscription required).
- ^ George D. Stuart Bridge, in "Hospital Fire Safety Funds Voted." York, Pennsylvania: York Daily Record, April 4, 1973, p. 32 (subscription required).
- ^ "Spans Renamed for Legislators." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Pittsburgh Press, July 10, 1974, p. 7 (subscription required).
- ^ "Stuart, George Donnell," in "Archives." Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania House of Representatives, retrieved online December 23, 2022.
- ^ George D. Stuart, in "Teacher, Labor Bills Head for Decision in Legislature." Williamsport, Pennsylvania: Gazette-Bulletin, May 12, 1947, front page (subscription required).
- ^ "PGHBridges - Tarentum Bridge". May 2, 2000. Retrieved January 31, 2010.
- ^ "Names and renames of old bridges," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 21, 2002.
- ^ George D. Stuart Bridge, in "Hospital Fire Safety Funds Voted," York Daily Record, April 4, 1973.
- ^ "Spans Renamed for Legislators." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Pittsburgh Press, July 10, 1974, p. 7 (subscription required).
- ^ George D. Stuart, in "Teacher, Labor Bills Head for Decision in Legislature," Gazette-Bulletin, May 12, 1947.
- ^ "Stuart, George Donnell," in "Archives," Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
External links
edit- Sale, John. "Angler and Angles" (photo of fisherman standing at the water below the George D. Stuart Bridge). Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Pittsburgh Press, October 9, 1983, p. 162 (subscription required).
- Sale, John. "Straight and narrow" (photo of the George D. Stuart Bridge). Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Pittsburgh Press, October 2, 1983, p. 145 (subscription required).