Masontown Bridge

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}

{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox Bridge

|bridge_name = Masontown Bridge

|image =

|image_size=300px

|caption =

|official_name =

|also_known_as = Intercounty Bridge

|carries = 4 divided lanes of {{jct|state=PA|PA|21}}

|crosses = Monongahela River

|locale = Masontown, Pennsylvania and Monongahela Township, Pennsylvania

|maint = PennDOT

|id =

|design = plate girder bridge

|mainspan =

|length = {{convert|1700|ft|m}}

|width =

|clearance =

|builder = Brayman Construction

|below =

|traffic =

|open = 1925
2013–2015

|closed = 2013

|toll =

|map_cue =

|map_image =

|map_text =

|map_width =

|coordinates = {{coord|39.8531|-79.9268|display=inline,title}}

}}

The Masontown Bridge is a four-lane, concrete, plate girder bridge that carries vehicular traffic across the Monongahela River between Masontown, Pennsylvania and Monongahela Township, Pennsylvania (near Carmichaels), by way of Pennsylvania Route 21.

History and notable features

The current structure was completed and opened in December 2015 after a three-year project costing $49.6 million to replace the previous truss bridge that was built in 1925 and rehabilitated in 1993.{{Cite web |url=http://www.observer-reporter.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20151201%2FNEWS02%2F151209963 |title=Masontown bridge completed | Greene Co. | Observer-Reporter |access-date=2019-05-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305143539/http://www.observer-reporter.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20151201%2FNEWS02%2F151209963 |archive-date=2016-03-05 |url-status=dead }} The first two lanes of the new bridge were completed in 2013, at which point the old truss bridge was imploded to make way for the other two lanes of the new bridge. It cost $50 million to build the new bridge.{{cite news|url=http://triblive.com/news/fayette/4740554-74/bridge-route-fayette|title=PennDOT to implode bridge near Masontown|newspaper=Pittsburgh Tribune-Review|date=September 20, 2013|accessdate=January 24, 2018|archive-date=January 25, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180125134442/http://triblive.com/news/fayette/4740554-74/bridge-route-fayette|url-status=live}} The new bridge was constructed by Brayman Construction.{{cite web|url=http://www.brayman.com/masontown-bridge-replacement/|title=Masontown Bridge|website=Brayman.com|accessdate=January 24, 2018|archive-date=January 25, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180125134615/http://www.brayman.com/masontown-bridge-replacement/|url-status=live}}

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation undertook the bridge replacement project as part of a years-long effort to modernize and improve Route 21 and expand it in some areas.

The old bridge was one of many large truss bridges built in Pennsylvania and Ohio by Farris Engineering in the 1920s.{{cite web |url=http://www.historicbridges.org/pennsylvania/masontown/ |title=Masontown Bridge |date=August 2007 |website=Historicbridges.com |accessdate=January 1, 2012 |archive-date=March 3, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303210448/http://www.historicbridges.org/pennsylvania/masontown/ |url-status=live }} The bridge was constructed by the Independent Bridge Company, Pittsburgh.{{cite web |url=http://rebuild21.com/bridge.htm |title=Rebuild 21 - bridge |date= |website=Rebuild21.com |accessdate=January 1, 2012 |archive-date=April 26, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426084958/http://rebuild21.com/bridge.htm |url-status=live }} The structure passed directly in front of the Hatfield's Ferry Power Station and carried a large amount of associated truck traffic.

It replaced a ferry at the site that had been established in 1769. That was first called the Republican Ferry, but later called McCann Ferry after the family that operated it.{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldstandard.com/gcm/news/local_news/masontown-bridge-had-seen-history-reflected-older-era/article_ac62708b-10d9-5734-ba8e-91ea056acdbe.html|title=Masontown Bridge had seen history, reflected older era|last=Haines|first=Christine|newspaper=Greene County Messenger|date=September 29, 2013|accessdate=January 5, 2016}}

File:PA 21 on Masontown bridge.jpg, demolished in 2013]]

See also

References

{{Reflist}}

See also