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West Washington Street Bridge - New Castle PA

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An early illustration of the old covered bridge that spanned the Shenango River at the end of West Washington Street. The river was much wider back then. The old canal dam can be seen to the right and the towpath of the former Beaver & Erie Canal is visible along the far bank. The First Christian Church (apparently minus its tall steeple) is visible in background, while the old St. Mary’s Catholic Church is visible to far left. There was no road straight up the hill into the West Side yet and at the west end of the bridge you turned north or south. A man named Byers was said to have a house on the small island and raised vegetables there. The west bank of the river was filled in over time. (c1869) Full Size


An overhead view of the metal West Washington Street Bridge, which was built by the Wrought Iron Bridge Company of Canton, Ohio, in 1875. The bridge was the center of ongoing dispute between the city/county and the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR), which later laid tracks on the both sides of the bridge. Street cars also ran across this bridge and it required constant repair. It was refurbished many times and was in service until replaced with a modern span that opened in July 1976. (1939)


Serious discussion of replacing the aging bridge got underway in the early 1970’s. The old bridge, which turned 100 years old in 1975, was closed and demolished that same year. Work on the new concrete bridge on West Washington Street was firmly underway in the summer of 1975. (Jun 1975)

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