Valley Oldies: Railroad span sparks interest among readers

By RON PAGLIA

The late legendary radio broadcaster Paul Harvey might have included it in one of  his trademark “The Rest of the Story” episodes.

Gary Strelick and Bill Morgan, however, are adding some personal recollections as a follow-up to our recent column about the Pittsburgh and West Virginia Railroad “K” type bridge that spans the Monongahela River between Speers and Belle Vernon (actually Rostraver Township). The imposing trestle towers loom above the Belle Vernon/Speers Bridge that carries Interstate 70 over the river and connects Washington County with Westmoreland and Fayette counties.

Strelick, a Charleroi resident and a longtime member of the Greater Monessen Historical Society, forwarded material compiled by the GMHS by interviewing former Pittsburgh Steel Company employees. He also included material from the society’s massive archives.

As noted in our previous column, the railroad bridge is 2,614 feet long and was completed in 1930 as part of the Connellsville Extension out of Rook Yard in the area of Greentree near Pittsburgh.

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