The Hot Metal Bridge is one of Pittsburgh's most unique and pedestrian/cyclist friendly bridges. Like the Birmingham Bridge downriver, it connects the neighborhoods of Oakland and the South Side Flats by crossing the Monongahela River. Additionally, it offers one of the best views of downtown that can be had from a bridge. The Hot Metal Bridge is unique in that it consists of two spans of different sizes. The original purpose of the larger span was to carry railroad traffic, and the purpose of the smaller span was to shuttle cars of molten hot metal to the J&L steel mill, which once stood on the site of what is now the South Side Works shopping area. Nowadays, the larger span carries vehicular traffic via 29th St., and the smaller span carries pedestrian and cyclist traffic via the Three Rivers Heritage Trail System, which runs along both sides of the Mon River. Perhaps the best aspect of the Hot Metal Bridge is the unique view that it affords of the downtown PGH skyline. This view of the skyline is one of the best in PGH because it combines several elements unique of the city's landscape and heritage, including the South Side slopes and the Mon River, all of which are framed by its trusses. As such, it's a popular choice as a backdrop for photos of wedding parties and fashion models, as well as as the subject of photos in its own right. As a recreational cyclist who lives in Oakland and spends the majority of my time cycling on the Three Rivers Heritage trails, I end up crossing this bridge on most of my rides, hence my regular (and occasional dutchess) status. In fact, this bridge is the one I cross most often on my bicycle (and probably in general, for that matter). Given that I often go cycling during the early evening, I enjoy observing sunset from this bridge as I cross it returning from the South Side back to Oakland--it makes for a picturesque and relaxing conclusion to my ride. read more

I have used this truss bridge on a daily basis for years. It's a quick jaunt from downtown to South Side. I have driven it, biked, and walked it for years. Mainly walking as it made for great exercise and great views. The bridge was originally constructed to transport steel for J&L Steel and it's believed to have been built in the late1800s. The bridge was updated in 2007. As mentioned, the walk across the bridge brings spectacular views of the city. read more

A wonderful testament to the foundations and the riverfront trails community coming together to make Pittsburgh a more livable place. The bridge connects trails on either side of the river and keeps bike and pedestrian traffic out of harms way. There are beautiful views of the river and the city. Nearby is the delightful Riverside Park. My favorite time to cross is at sunset. read more

Hot Metal Bridge - Biking across Hot Metal Bridge at Sunset. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

It's beautiful and I'm considering walking from the bridge to downtown? Is it safe for a woman to walk alone and could you? What is it like please? read more

i want to thank hot metal bridge oranazation for being there for me and not wanting nothing in return. they feed the homeless 5 to 6:30. they have more than cloth,shoe tolrties coats,sleeping bags etc.they really a place you can go for help. men and woman. i found the address and called and they where there.i recommand if you are in need and looking for nice things this is the place to look in to .theresa carroll independent.keep up the good work. read more

Pittsburgh should have the nickname 'Reusable City.' Honestly, Pittsburgh doesn't leave anything to waste. I mean, take this set of two bridges. They could have just tore them down and left it at that. But no, they decided that they would reuse these bridges and help alleviate the flow of traffic, both by car and by foot/bike, into and out of the city. Granted, it's not the best bridge to cross if you are attempting to get somewhere quickly, but like all its other counterparts in the city, it's unique. Travelling across this bridge at the wrong time of day could cause you to wait for an extended amount of time, with that, I would suggest take the non-scenic route. These two bridges help many people cross the Mon. One for vehicular traffic and one for pedestrian/bicycle traffic. The vehicular one open many months before the pedestrian bridge. I remember the ado there was when the pedestrian bridge was under construction and how excited people were knowing that they would soon be able to get downtown via the trails. When the neon like lights are lit on the bridge at night, it gives it a little more character. If not for congestion, this would be an ideal crossing. read more

Okay, this is one of my favorite bridges in the 'burgh. Here's why I love it: 1) It's not yellow. Sure, I like the distinctive Alomon yellow, but this one looks great in black. 2) It's way cyclist and pedestrian friendly, with a wide and smooth side-bridge just for non-cars. 3) It connects important neighborhoods (as any good bridge should). read more

Hot Metal Bridge - Pedestrian and cyclist friendly - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

A must to do if your in the area. You get a great view of the River and downtown. Plus it's a great place for a pic and the history of the area is very interesting. There are many places to shop, eat and drink in walking distance. read more

See all

It's a bridge and if you want to know more you should check it out on Google - I don't know the history really behind it, but it's just a bridge and it was right where we needed it! LOL - this is my first bridge review so I'm going with 3 stars because it was a convenient spot to have a bridge! What else can I say - nothing much to write about - it's short and not large at all! read more

This is another of Pittsburgh's wonderful bridges. As I learned from a previous review, this bridge was originally built to transport hot metal across the river for J&L Steel. Like U.S. Steel, Jones and Laughlin was another large steel producer. Hot metal is blast furnace iron which is saturated with carbon in the process of reducing iron oxides in ores (typically transported down Great Lake/river waterways to the sites of integrated steel mills. As this hot metal cooled it ejected small carbon particleS (graphite, like pencil lead). These carbon particulates, from the many mills located on the rivers, were not a particularly harmful pollutant, but did serve to blacken most of the brick in Pittsburgh. The coal used to produce Coke for blast furnace reduction was a significant source of pollutants, mainly from impurities in coal. Hot metal was further processed through Bessemer converters and later the basic oxygen process, which used exothermic reactions to further reduce carbon contents and increase the temperature of the liquid metal. These lower Carbon containing liquids could then be cast into ingots or continuously cast in a variety of shapes as semi-finished steels. This in turn could be further processed, typically by thermomechanical processing, e.g. hot rolling followed by cutting, stamping, forging ... To produce finished products. Semi finished and finished products, like ores and coal, were economically transported along the waterways. At the height of the steel making era in Pittsburgh, the waterways were filled with barges of all types, a tribute to the industriousness of the region and evidence of the US economic growth enabled by these enormous facilities. One of the finished products was reinforcing bars, rebar, used in the construction of buildings and yes bridges! A division of US Steel (the culmination of Andrew Carnegie's steel making empire) was responsible for building a large fraction of US bridges, like the Hot Metal bridge which allows me to have Sushi in the Southside with people who live across the river :) read more

Located on Pittsburgh's South Side, The Hot Metal Street Bridge was originally a dual railroad bridge owned by the Monongahela Connecting Railroad (The MonConn). The MonConn used it to connect steel mills on both the north and south banks of the Monongahela River. The upstream span carried regular freight trains. The downstream span carried train cars of molten iron across from J&L's Eliza Furnaces to the Bessemer converters, furnaces and rolling mills at J&L's South Side Works. When the J&L South Side Works closed, the bridge no longer had a use. With new development on the South Side, one span was redeveloped for auto use and it now connects Hot Metal Street on the South Side with 2nd Avenue in Oakland. A few years ago the other span was redone and is now used for bicyclists and pedestrians. It's a part of the Three Rivers Trail System. I've never driven across it, but I've used the bike span on numerous occasions. It's a great way to get from the South Side to Oakland or to connect between the Three Rivers Trail and the Eliza Furnace Trail. Those trails along with the bridge are a fun way to explore Pittsburgh's industrial past. read more

A major part of Pittsburgh's past, the former J & L Hot Metal Bridge is now a beautiful and useful bridge linking Pittsburgh's past to it's bright future. Once used to transport molten steel across the river, today this bridge has lanes for cars as well as a separate lane for bikes and walkers. The bridge spans the Monongahela river and connects uptown with the South Side Works. read more

I love this bridge. (did i just say that?) We live nearby, and anytime we feel like going for a walk or need some fresh air, we always end up here. It has a gorgeous view and an excellent walkway for pedestrians and bikers. When we visit, we always stop and hang out for while, admiring the view. Actually, this 4th of july we avoided downtown for the fireworks and came here. It wasn't the same but it was still cool to have a decent view so far from town. Some of my best Instagram pics have been snapped here. Love it. read more