July 15, 2012 3:35 pm
This is the bridge that I missed when identifying the river bridges to cross on GoogleEarth. I missed it because it doesn’t cross the entire width of the Allegheny River. About 2.5 miles upriver from Downtown Pittsburgh is Herr’s Island, also known as Washington’s Landing. The name Washington’s Landing refers to the story that this was where George Washington spent the night after a crossing of the Allegheny River during which he fell into the river. (The folk song “The Forks of the Ohio” describes the incident.) Herr’s Island refers to one of the original landowners of the island, Benjamin Herr.
One of the names of this bridge is Herr’s Island Railroad Bridge. While PGHbridges.com lists multiple names for the bridge, none of them refer to the new use of the bridge as a pedestrian bridge. The bridge connects the northern shore of the Allegheny with Herr’s Island and I image was very well used while the island was covered with industry. Now is it a very pleasant pedestrian bridge connecting the northern branch of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail with Herr’s Island, which now features a swanky residential area.
The view upstream shows the little stretch of the Allegheny that separates the northern shore from Herr’s Island, while the downstream view captures downtown.
At the Herr’s Island end of the bridge is a nice look-out space featuring this compass with the three rivers. While this part is nice and seems to welcome the public, I always feel very awkward as I continue on the trail along Herr’s Island. The way the island was developed, it feel like it’s a private, gated community and people like me who use the trail but don’t live there are interlopers and trespassers.
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Posted by Carolyn Ristau
Categories: Pittsburgh Bridges
Tags: Allegheny River, bridges, George Washington, industry, pedestrian bridge, pedestrians, Pittsburgh, redevelopment, Three Rivers Heritage Trail
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Washington’s Landing is near where Washington spent the night. That particular piece of land does not exist any longer.
By blr on July 16, 2012 at 3:17 pm
Thanks for that bit of clarification.
By urbantraipsing on July 16, 2012 at 6:46 pm
[…] Island/Washington’s Landing (after having got on it by the converted railroad bridge, see July 15th’s post), the question of what is a bridge stared me in the face. I’ve skirted that question since […]
By What is a Bridge? | urbantraipsing on July 18, 2012 at 6:28 pm
[…] left is the cookie-cutter, perfectly manicured housing development on Herr’s Island. In my Converted Railroad Bridge post, I mention how I feel like a trespasser when I walk through this part of the island. Except […]
By 31st Street Bridge | urbantraipsing on July 19, 2012 at 5:04 pm
[…] out over the forested northern end of Herr’s Island toward downtown. As I mention in the Converted Railroad Bridge post, Herr’s Island has been renamed Washington’s Landing, in honor of George […]
By Washington’s Crossing Bridge | urbantraipsing on July 20, 2012 at 1:19 pm
[…] There is a converted railroad bridge that carries the trial over part of the Allegheny River (see July 15 post). The Hot Metal (Aug 9 post), Smithfield Street and Fort Duquesne (June 19 post) bridges are […]
By Pedestrian Bridges: Bates Street | urbantraipsing on August 13, 2012 at 2:57 pm
[…] The Strip District to the 31st Street Bridge (see post), the Herr’s Island development (see post) and the hills beyond. There are not many places in Pittsburgh where the view stretches so far in […]
By Bloomfield Bridge | urbantraipsing on August 18, 2012 at 1:07 pm
[…] bridge to get off of Herr’s Island/Washington’s Landing (after having got on it by the converted railroad bridge), the question of what is a bridge stared me in the face. I’ve skirted that question since […]
By What is a Bridge? | urbantraipsing on December 15, 2019 at 2:37 pm