Firefighters' Memorial Bridge (Pittston)

Water Street Bridge
Crosses Susquehanna River
Locale Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
Official name Fire Fighters' Memorial Bridge
Characteristics
Total length 1,016 feet (310 m)
Width 21 feet (6.4 m)
Longest span 202 feet (62 m)
No. of spans 5
History
Constructed by Penn Bridge Company
Construction end 1914

Water Street Bridge is a truss bridge that spans the Susquehanna River between West Pittston, Pennsylvania and Pittston, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1914 by the Penn Bridge Company.

Composition

The Water Street Bridge is a metal pinned parker through truss bridge. It has 5 spans, which are the 'arches.' Each span length is 202 feet. The bridge is not maintained by PennDOT and is therefore not in the line of bridges being decommissioned by PennDOT around the state.

History

The Water Street Bridge was built in 1914 by the Penn Bridge Company of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. It was originally a steel grate bridge until 1984.

The Water Street Bridge faced Hurricane Agnes in 1972 and also the Flood of '06, as it has been called when 12–20 foot waters covered the Riverfront Park, and coming up and smothering the railroad tracks that are 19 feet above the river. The bridge's height at this point was about 20 feet, compared to the average 50–40 feet. Recently, the September 2011 flood caused the city to close this and another bridge in Pittston. So, far the bridge is still standing, but a bridge named Slabtown Bridge in near Lycoming County has been wiped out.

Official name

The bridge was renamed the Fire Fighters' Memorial Bridge in 2008 to remember the fallen firefighters who died near there.[1]

A parallel bridge

The neighboring Fort Jenkins Bridge

In 1928, a parallel bridge (the Fort Jenkins Bridge) was constructed north of the Water Street Bridge. The Fort Jenkins Bridge is part of U.S. Route 11.

References

  1. ↑ Long, Sherry (2007-08-19). "Pittston span to get new name: Mayors to honor fallen firefighters by renaming Water St. Bridge". The Times Leader. Wilkes-Barre, PA.

Coordinates: 41°19′28″N 75°47′35″W / 41.32437°N 75.79295°W / 41.32437; -75.79295

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