Smithton High-Level Bridge
Bridge in South Huntingdon Township and Rostraver Township
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Smithton High-Level Bridge is a structure that crosses the Youghiogheny River between South Huntingdon Township and Rostraver Township.
Smithton High-Level Bridge | |
|---|---|
Peeking out from between the trees along the Yough River Trail. | |
| Coordinates | 40°10′N 79°46′W |
| Carries |  I-70 |
| Crosses | Youghiogheny River |
| Locale | South Huntingdon Township and Rostraver Township |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | truss bridge |
| Total length | 1355 ft |
| Width | 64 ft |
| History | |
| Opened | 1956 |
| Location | |
 Interactive map of Smithton High-Level Bridge | |
The bridge was opened in 1956 as one of the last links in the replacement of the old alignment of Pennsylvania Route 71 with a new four-lane freeway between Washington and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. During the same year of the bridge's completion, it was announced that the highway would become part of Interstate 70; it took on this designation in 1964 after the completion of freeway stretches in neighboring West Virginia linked PA 71 to a similar freeway in Ohio.
Part of a busy truck route, the bridge is part of a highway that has been plagued by surface problems. In 1989, a crack in the superstructure, the result of a 35-year-old construction error, forced the closure of the bridge for five days, stranding truckers. The bridge was rehabilitated in 2000.
See also
References
PA Highways: I-70 National Bridges
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