Rachel Carson Bridge

Rachel Carson Bridge
Rachel Carson Bridge as seen from the roof of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center
Coordinates	40°26′48″N 79°59′59″W / 40.4467°N 79.9998°W / 40.4467; -79.9998
Carries	Ninth Street
Official name	Rachel Carson Bridge
Other name(s)	Ninth Street Bridge
Characteristics
Total length	840 ft (260 m) (995 ft (303 m) with approaches)
Width	62 ft (19 m)
Height	78 ft (24 m)
Longest span	410 ft (120 m)
Clearance below	40.3 ft (12.3 m) above Emsworth Dam normal pool level (710 ft (220 m) above sea level)
History
Opened	November 26, 1926; 98 years ago (November 26, 1926)
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Pittsburgh Landmark – PHLF
NRHP reference No.	86000019
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	January 7, 1986
Designated PHLF	1988[1]
Location

The Rachel Carson Bridge, also known as the Ninth Street Bridge, spans the Allegheny River in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States.

Named for the naturalist and author Rachel Carson, a Pittsburgh native, it is one of three parallel bridges called the Three Sisters, the others being the Roberto Clemente Bridge and the Andy Warhol Bridge. The Three Sisters are self-anchored suspension bridges and are significant because they are the only trio of nearly identical bridges—as well as the first self-anchored suspension spans—built in the United States.

The total length of the Rachel Carson Bridge is 840 feet (260 m) including the 410-foot (120 m) main span and two 215-foot (66 m) side spans, or 995 feet (303 m) including the approaches. The total width of the deck is 62 feet (19 m), including the 38-foot (12 m) roadway plus two 10-foot (3.0 m) sidewalks outside the compressive plate girder. Whereas the roadway formerly carried two vehicle lanes and two streetcar tracks, it was changed to carry four wide vehicle lanes. The 2019-2020 refurbishment reduced the lanes to three.