Lecture: How Pittsburgh’s Bridges Developed

As one of America’s first large inland cities, Pittsburgh and its countryside demanded new engineering solutions for its growth and development. Various trained and untrained engineers were up for the challenge, coming up with new solutions that revolutionized bridge building. From the country’s first iron bridge to the world’s first modern suspension bridge, from the many noted engineers that got their start here to the bridges they designed, and from the manufacturing that took place here to the bridges erected, Western Pennsylvania has one of America’s most significant bridge design and engineering legacies. This presentation will give that story.