Schedule of Events

Friday, July 10, 2009
Itinerary (Please email bridgemapper@gmail.com for an itinerary containing maps.)

  • 11:00 a.m. - Visit the George Westinghouse Memorial Bridge (on own)
  • 11:30 a.m. - Lunch at Pittsburgh's famous Primanti's Restaurant (North Versailles location)
  • 1:00 p.m. - Tour of the historic Westinghouse Air Brake Office Building
    ($5, payable at the door)
  • 1:30 p.m. - Self-guided Allegheny River tour (maps, directions, and information provided)
  • 4:30 p.m. - South Tenth Street Suspension Bridge anchorage tour, led by Lance Andrews of AECOM.  Meet at the First Avenue Garage Lobby.
  • 5:00 p.m. - Smithfield Street Bridge visit
  • 5:30 p.m - Either:
    • A Gateway Clipper Boat Tour ($15 per person, payable in advance online or when you arrive) OR
    • A guided downtown Pittsburgh bridge walking tour (free)
  • 7:00 p.m. - Tour of Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation offices
  • 7:30 p.m. - Historic Bridge Weekend Dinner (limited to 40 people)
    History and Heritage at Risk
    • In a private room of the Grand Concourse Restaurant (the restaurant used to be the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad station).
    • Cost: $35 per person (inclusive of tax and tip)
      • Either:
        • Mail a check to:
          • Marylu Denny
            Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation
            100 West Station Square Drive, Suite 450
            Pittsburgh, PA 15219-1134
        • Or pay by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express)
          • Call Marylu at 412.471.5808 ext 527.
    • Speakers:
      • Eric DeLony - Chief Emeritius of the Historic Engineering Record (the group that documented the Charleroi Monessen Bridge for the Library of Congress) and foremost authority on historic bridges
      • Louise Sturgess - Executive Director of Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation (PHLF)
      • Evan Regan-Levine - Intern at Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation (PHLF)
      • Stan Nalitz, P.E. - Technical Director of AECOM Transportation, Pittsburgh Operations and project manager of several historic bridge rehabilitation projects
    • Dinner: coffee, hot tea, or iced tea; clam chowder soup; dinner rolls; chocolate dipped strawberries and pineapple; and the choice of one of the following entree salads:
      • Brown Derby Cobb Salad - Chicken breast, bacon, diced tomato, chopped egg, Bleu cheese crumbles, avocado and mixed greens
      • Mozzarella Caprese Salad - Vine ripened beefsteak tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil, greens, vinaigrette, and bruschetta slices
      • Salmon Caesar Salad - Romaine lettuce, anchovies, Parmesan cheese, croutons, and Caesar dressing with or without blackened salmon
    • There will also be a cash bar.
  • 9:30 p.m. - Incline ride and social on Mt Washington overlooking the city

Saturday, July 11, 2009
 Self-guided driving tour of the bridges of the Monongahela River Valley area, from Pittsburgh to Morgantown, WV. Directions and maps to be provided.

The tour featured TWO National Register-Listed Bridges, Charleroi Monessen and Point Marion, that will be demolished in 2009!

  • 6:30 p.m. - Historic Bridge Weekend Dinner:
    A look at the leading preservation strategies in Michigan
    • Generations
      181 West Main St
      Uniontown, PA 15401
    • Cost: $25 per person
    • Speakers:
      • Nathan Holth
        Historic Bridge Preservation in Michigan: Inspiration for Our Area
        Mr. Holth is webmaster of www.historicbridges.org . He will talk about barriers to bridge preservation in Pennsylvania and bridge preservation solutions in Michigan
      • Vern Mesler
        Restoration of Historic Bridges: A Craftsman's Record
        Mr. Mesler is a craftsman who restores metal truss bridges. Visit
        www.historicbridgerestoration.com for more information.
      • Luke Gordon
        Michigan Department of Transportation's Innovative Bridge Preservation Strategies
        Review of Michigan's bridge preservation methods with case studies of state-owned historic bridges.
    • Dinner: includes a salad, one side, and choice of the following entrees:
      • Veal Francaise - Hand sliced veal with lemon juice, brown sugar, and Marsala wine topped with imported provolone cheese.
      • Asian Salmon - Salmon fillet topped with Asian style sauce.
      • Chicken Maria - Chicken breast with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, basil, and wine topped with feta cheese.

Sunday, July 12, 2009
 Self-guided driving tour of the bridges of the Ohio River Valley area, from Pittsburgh to Wheeling, WV. Directions and maps to be provided.

  • 5:30 p.m. - Goodbye Dinner

Hotel

The hotel for the Historic Bridge Weekend (July 10th - 12th) was the Fairfield Inn & Suites Pittsburgh Neville Island.