YPA Counts Down the Top Ten: #4 Hulton Bridge, Oakmont-Harmarville

For the next several days, until May 21, YPA will count down its 2010 list of the Top Ten Best Preservation Opportunities on its blog. On Friday, May 21, YPA will host a Historic Preservation Month Celebration, "Old is the New Green," at the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater in East Liberty, starting at 6:00 p.m.

Registration details are on YPA's website, http://www.youngpreservationists.org.

Since 2003, YPA has celebrated historic preservation with its annual list of the Top Ten Best Preservation Opportunities in the Pittsburgh Area. The list, compiled from nominations received from various individuals and organizations, is designed to encourage investment in historic sites throughout the nine-county southwestern Pennsylvania region. The list has been used by property owners to draw positive attention to their properties, raise investment funds, secure grants, and generate political goodwill for their historic sites.

The sites featured on YPA's list come from six different counties and include industrial structures, Main Street commercial buildings, schools, a train station, and a bridge. Main Street features prominently in the list, with four of the Top Ten sites being situated in an existing Main Street commercial district. The remaining six sites are within blocks of an existing Main Street community.

The criteria used to select the Top Ten List include the following:

1. 50-year Threshold (is it 50 years old or older);

2. Historic & Architectural Significance;

3. Threats to the Site;

4. Community Input; and

5. Feasibility of the Solution.

#4 Hulton Bridge, Harmarville-Oakmont

Constructed in 1908-1909 over the Allegheny River, the simple truss bridge connects the boroughs of Oakmont and Harmarville. It was the first bridge to be built by Allegheny County over the Allegheny River. It was named for the Hulton family, who owned a third of present-day Oakmont and had operated a ferry company at the location since 1864.

In late 2009 PennDOT announced its plans to demolish the bridge by 2012 and build a new four-lane bridge upstream, explaining that the bridge is still structurally sound but is functionally obsolete. Pennsylvania’s historic bridges are disappearing at an alarming rate, with one estimate stating that they will all be gone by 2016.

Students from Carnegie Mellon University have come up with a plan to turn the bridge into a pedestrian and biking bridge that connects to the Allegheny Trail. The cost of demolishing the bridge would be $6-10 million, but the students estimated that the conversion costs would be around $300,000. A survey of Oakmont residents found that 70% of residents said they would use the converted bridge and 44% said they would help with its conversion.

The students’ plan appears to be the best alternative. But Penn DOT explains that funds are needed for lighting and snow removal as well as maintenance costs. Also, they would need to find an organization willing to be legally responsible for the structure.