McKees Rocks Bridge
Why it's listed
Spanning the Ohio River between McKees Rocks and Stowe Township in Allegheny County, this highway bridge was built between 1930 and 1932 to a design by V.R. Covell, Chief Engineer of the Allegheny County Department of Public Works. Its main span is a steel two-hinged through arch measuring 750 feet, stiffened by a Pratt truss. The approach spans combine two-hinged deck arches, Warren deck trusses, a crescent arch truss, and a 75-foot girder span. The overall length is about 5,510 feet, carried on sixteen piers, and the granite piers and steel railings are noted in the survey. The bridge's main span is regarded as a very fine example of the two-hinged metal through arch, and its design is compared with the Hell Gate Bridge in New York. The nomination treats it as an important engineering work, and it is one of two examples of its bridge type included in the group. The bridge carries vehicular traffic and is recorded as unaltered.
Significance in brief: The nomination describes the bridge as a very fine example of a two-hinged metal through arch, with a 750-foot main span and a Pratt stiffening truss. It is designed by V.R. Covell, Chief Engineer of the Allegheny County Department of Public Works, and is compared to the Hell Gate Bridge in New York. The form notes that it is one of only two examples of this bridge type included in the nomination, and it is listed under engineering.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 88002168, listed November 14, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | LR 76, Spur 2, over Ohio River at Bellevue, Bellevue |
|---|---|
| County | Allegheny County |
| Listed | November 14, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002168 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1930-1932 |
| Architect / builder | V.R. Covell (designer, Chief Engineer of the Allegheny County Department of Public Works) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | National, State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vehicular use; the form records the bridge as unaltered. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.46452, -80.06254 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 88002168.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6801750
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.