George D. Stuart Bridge

The George D. Stuart Bridge (commonly known as the Tarentum Bridge or the New Kensington Bridge)[1] is a steel deck truss bridge that carries vehicular traffic across the Allegheny River between New Kensington and Tarentum in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.[2]

George D. Stuart Bridge
Coordinates40.5969°N 79.7550°W / 40.5969; -79.7550
Carries4 lanes of PA 366
CrossesAllegheny River
LocaleNew Kensington and Tarentum
Other name(s)Tarentum Bridge
Characteristics
DesignDeck truss bridge
Longest span428.0 feet (130.5 m)
Clearance below47.9 feet (14.6 m)
History
Opened1952
Location

The bridge was officially renamed as the George D. Stuart Bridge in 1974 by the Pennsylvania State Senate in recognition of the World War I and World War II-era and post-war service of George Donnell Stuart in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.[3][4][5][6]

History

Originally named the Tarentum–Valley Heights Bridge, the structure is sometimes referred to today as the New Kensington Bridge. From its opening in 1952 until 1961,[7] its maintenance was supported by a ten-cent toll.

The name of the bridge was changed by the Pennsylvania State Senate in 1974 to honor George Donnell Stuart,[8][9][10] a Republican who was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1944 and subsequently reelected in 1946 and 1948.[11] Stuart, who had also been a member of Pennsylvania's Joint Legislative Committee on Mental Health Laws from 1947 to 1948, was a Tarentum High School graduate who had served in the United States Army during World War I and in the United States Army Reserve during World War II prior to his election to the Pennsylvania House. A publication assistant with The Valley Daily News from 1919 to 1920, he had also served as a Justice of the Peace in Brackenridge, Pennsylvania from 1922 to 1925 prior to becoming the editor of the New Kensington newspaper, the Valley News Dispatch, a position he held for half a century, from 1921 to 1971. During his state legislative tenure, he became known for his advocacy for bridge construction along the Allegheny.[12]

See also

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to George D. Stuart Bridge.
  1. "Names and renames of old bridges." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 21, 2002, p. 22 (subscription required).
  2. Niederberger, Mary. "'There's a saying in these parts...'" Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Pittsburgh Press, December 11, 1983, p. 150 (subscription required).
  3. George D. Stuart Bridge, in "Hospital Fire Safety Funds Voted." York, Pennsylvania: York Daily Record, April 4, 1973, p. 32 (subscription required).
  4. "Spans Renamed for Legislators." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Pittsburgh Press, July 10, 1974, p. 7 (subscription required).
  5. "Stuart, George Donnell," in "Archives." Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania House of Representatives, retrieved online December 23, 2022.
  6. George D. Stuart, in "Teacher, Labor Bills Head for Decision in Legislature." Williamsport, Pennsylvania: Gazette-Bulletin, May 12, 1947, front page (subscription required).
  7. "PGHBridges - Tarentum Bridge". May 2, 2000. Retrieved January 31, 2010.
  8. "Names and renames of old bridges," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 21, 2002.
  9. George D. Stuart Bridge, in "Hospital Fire Safety Funds Voted," York Daily Record, April 4, 1973.
  10. "Spans Renamed for Legislators." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Pittsburgh Press, July 10, 1974, p. 7 (subscription required).
  11. George D. Stuart, in "Teacher, Labor Bills Head for Decision in Legislature," Gazette-Bulletin, May 12, 1947.
  12. "Stuart, George Donnell," in "Archives," Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
  • Sale, John. "Angler and Angles" (photo of fisherman standing at the water below the George D. Stuart Bridge). Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Pittsburgh Press, October 9, 1983, p. 162 (subscription required).
  • Sale, John. "Straight and narrow" (photo of the George D. Stuart Bridge). Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Pittsburgh Press, October 2, 1983, p. 145 (subscription required).
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