Brownsville Bridge

Website:

https://www.loc.gov/item/pa3593/

Location:

Bridge Blvd, Brownsville, PA 15417

Description:

The Brownsville Bridge, also referred to as the Intercounty Bridge or the West Brownsville Bridge in some regions, is a truss bridge facilitating vehicular traffic over the Monongahela River, connecting Brownsville, Pennsylvania, and West Brownsville, Pennsylvania. With the inauguration of the Lane Bane Bridge and the associated highway project in the early 1960s, designed to divert much of the intercounty through traffic from the primary streets of downtown Brownsville, another common name for the bridge became the Old Brownsville Bridge due to its elevated viaduct section.

Constructed in 1914, the West Brownsville-Brownsville Bridge replaced an inadequate wooden structure from 1831, which struggled to accommodate the increasing vehicular traffic brought by the emerging motorized transportation era, especially with the rising usage of the National Road. This significant federal route has historically crossed the river at this location, initially served by ferry services in the early nineteenth century. The construction of the Lane Bane Bridge downstream in 1960 prompted the relocation of U.S. Route 40 to the new elevated structure, redirecting traffic flow. Presently, the bridge primarily caters to local traffic, aiming to foster connectivity between the interconnected towns on each riverbank.

Recognized for its historical importance, the Brownsville Bridge holds a designation as a historic bridge by the Washington County History & Landmarks Foundation.