Shining New Light on Pittsburgh’s Three Sisters Bridges
The historic Three Sisters in Pittsburgh – the Roberto Clemente, Andy Warhol and Rachel Carson bridges – are identical, self-anchored suspension bridges that have connected neighborhoods across the Allegheny River for a century.
In 2023, Allegheny County completed a large-scale LED lighting upgrade, bringing refreshed pride and improved safety to the landmark spans.
As part of the project, the City of Pittsburgh partnered with Valmont’s agent Signal Service, Inc., to develop professional engineer (PE)-approved designs and manufacture approximately 130 custom ASTM A595 conforming round tapered steel poles with Sternberg Lighting LED fixtures. The 12-foot-tall poles were galvanized and coated black. The team envisioned a historic-meets-modern look for the poles, and they feature a unique, fluted-to-round transition at the four-foot mark — a complex aspect that only Valmont could achieve.
The poles are mounted to existing bridge elements on all three bridges, from Isabella Street on the north side of the river to Fort Duquesne Boulevard to the south. Matching the base plate bolt patterns and mounting geometry was a challenge that Valmont was also well-equipped to solve, maintaining consistency across all three bridges.
Valmont’s lighting structures now enhance pedestrian walkways with essential accent lighting — conserving resources and improving life.
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