Great Crossings Bridge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates | 39°45′19″N79°23′48″W / 39.755411°N 79.396735°W /39.755411; -79.396735 |
| Crosses | Youghiogheny River |
| Locale | Confluence, Pennsylvania |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Stone arch bridge |
| Total length | 375 ft (114 m) |
| Width | 30 ft (9 m) |
| Height | 40 ft (12 m) |
| History | |
| Construction start | 1815 |
| Opened | 4 July 1818 |
| Location | |
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TheGreat Crossings Bridge is a masonry bridge which is on theNational Road betweenSomerset County andFayette County, Pennsylvania. It crosses theYoughiogheny River nearConfluence, Pennsylvania.
Built during the early nineteenth century, near a ford that had been in use by Europeans sinceGeorge Washington's 1753 journey toFort LeBoeuf, the 375-foot (114 m) long, 40-foot (12 m) high, 30-foot (9.1 m) wide sandstone bridge with three arches was erected between 1813 and 1818 by James Kinkead, James Beck and Evan Evans, and was dedicated on July 4, 1818 at an event attended by PresidentJames Monroe.[1]
The town of Somerfield, Pennsylvania, which was originally named Smythfield, was built at the eastern end of the bridge in 1817. The bridge and town were later inundated byYoughiogheny River Lake,[1] a reservoir that began filling in 1940.[2]
The bridge remains standing in the reservoir, just downstream from the presentU.S. Route 40 bridge.[1][3] The bridge is normally submerged year-round, but is occasionally accessible during periods of drought when the water level in the lake drops significantly. While the normal low-water mark during winter is at an elevation of 1,419 feet (433 m), the top of the bridge is visible at 1,392 feet (424 m) and the deck is exposed at 1,384 feet (422 m).[4][5]
In November 2024, a drought completely exposed the Great Crossings Bridge as well as the remains of the city of Somerville. Over 10,000 people have visited the location since the bridge was exposed.[6]