AHYP History Series: Bridge to Somewhere - All About Pittsburgh's Bridges

Plan on joining us for our next presentation in our Pittsburgh History Series on Thursday, February 19th.

Presentation Topic:

Why are Pittsburgh’s bridges so special? And does Pittsburgh really have more bridges than any other city? Join author and historian Todd Wilson for an exciting, photo rich presentation that tells the story of Pittsburgh’s bridges. From the City’s start as a strategic outpost at the start of the Ohio River—the first Gateway to the West—to the development of innovative transportation systems to maintain our importance as a transportation hub connecting the east and west, Pittsburgh has long led the way in designing bridges that pioneered unique and innovative solutions. This accelerated as the City grew, as bridges became essential to developing the region to place roads and rail connecting steep slopes where development would not ordinarily go. Aside from the engineering challenges, inspired by the City Beautiful movement, Pittsburgh eventually started to think beyond just building bridges, but building architectural ones in which beauty was just as important as functionality. Learn about why Pittsburgh’s current bridges look the way they do, how architecture was blended with engineering, and marvel at some of the unique firsts that made Pittsburgh one of the world’s most important bridge cities.

About the Presenter:

Todd Wilson, PE, is a local civil engineer who is one of Pittsburgh’s premier bridge historians, having studied and photographed bridges in Pittsburgh his whole life. He has co-authored two Pittsburgh bridge books (Arcadia’s Images of America: Pittsburgh’s Bridges and History Press’s Engineering Pittsburgh: A History of Roads, Rails, Canals, Bridges and More.…), helped develop and narrate riverboat bridge tours for Doors Open Pittsburgh, and has presented at a number of national conferences. He serves on several local nonprofit boards, including Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation Landmarks Development Corporation, the American Society of Civil Engineers History and Heritage Committee, the Squirrel Hill Historical Society, the Pennsylvania Canal Society, and the March of Dimes Young Professional Board. On Instagram, he provides daily Pittsburgh bridge related content @pghbridges.

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