Great Crossings Bridge
Great Crossings Bridge | |
|---|---|
| Crosses | Youghiogheny River |
| Locale | Confluence, Pennsylvania |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Stone arch bridge |
| Total length | 375 ft (114 m) |
| Width | 30 ft (9 m) |
| Height | 40 ft (12 m) |
| History | |
| Construction start | 1815 |
| Opened | 4 July 1818 |
The Great Crossings Bridge is a masonry bridge on the National Road between Somerset County and Fayette County, Pennsylvania, that crosses the Youghiogheny River near Confluence, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1813, near a ford that had been in use by Europeans since George Washington's 1753 journey to Fort LeBoeuf. The 375-foot (114 m) long, 40-foot (12 m) high, 30-foot (9.1 m) wide sandstone bridge was constructed between 1815 and 1818 with three arches by James Kinkead, James Beck and Evan Evans. It was inaugurated on July 4, 1818 at an event attended by President James Monroe.[1]
The town of , originally named Smythfield, grew up at the eastern end of the bridge beginning in 1817. The bridge and town were inundated by Youghiogheny River Lake,[1] which began filling in 1940.[2]
The bridge remains standing in the reservoir, and may be seen and crossed at times when water levels are low, just downstream from the present U.S. Route 40 bridge.[1][3]
References[]
- ^ a b c Lowry, Patricia (January 7, 1999). "A bridge to the 19th century". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
- ^ Heberling, Scott D. (2010). Historic Stone Bridges of Somerset County, Pennsylvania (PDF). Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-89271-126-0.
- ^ Hay, Dave (January 31, 2019). "History of the Great Crossings Bridge and Youghoigheny River towns". Daily American. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
- Stone arch bridges in the United States
- National Road
- Bridges in Somerset County, Pennsylvania
- Youghiogheny River
- Submerged bridges
- Bridges in Fayette County, Pennsylvania