Sixth Street Bridge
Why it's listed
Spanning the Allegheny River between downtown Pittsburgh and the North Side, the Sixth Street Bridge is a steel self-anchored suspension bridge completed in 1927-28 by Allegheny County. Its two towers have rounded arched openings and carry eyebar catenaries pinned at the towers and anchored at stone shoreline piers. The deck is stiffened by triple web plate girders, and the original roadway carried trolleys alongside motor vehicles. The bridge is one of three nearly identical spans built together with the Seventh and Ninth Street Bridges, which were erected to meet War Department navigation requirements. Its design is attributed to County Engineer Vernon R. Covell, while Stanley Roush is credited with the architectural work. The bridge occupies the site of an earlier crossing and incorporates masonry from it. It is regarded as one of the most significant river crossings in the city and among the few surviving examples of its type.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is significant as one of the first self-anchored suspension bridges in the United States, and as one of the only important surviving examples of the eyebar suspension bridge in the country. It is one of three nearly identical bridges, along with the Seventh and Ninth Street Bridges, which the document describes as the nation's only trio of virtually identical spans. It was also built as part of a large county public works program of the 1920s and 1930s.
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 86000017, listed January 7, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Allegheny River at Sixth St., Pittsburgh |
|---|---|
| County | Allegheny County |
| Listed | January 7, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86000017 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1921-1940 |
| Architect / builder | Vernon R. Covell et al. (engineer); Stanley Roush (architect); The Foundation Co. and American Bridge Co. (contractors) |
| Architectural style | Suspension Bridge (Self-anchored) |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation, Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition recorded as good and integrity as excellent on the survey form. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Within district | Penn-Liberty Historic District (Boundary Increase) |
| Coordinates | 40.44529, -80.00314 (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 86000017.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7351643
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.