Project Description

The West End Bridge is the first crossing over the Ohio River just downstream from the City of Pittsburgh. The bridge is the western-most portion of a 15-mile trail system and open space area around Pittsburgh’s downtown. Through a series of projects, the City and its partners aim to connect the West End and Manchester neighborhoods while enhancing the City's waterfront.

This project is best characterized in three parts:

  • The Connectors Project: will bring ADA accessible bike and pedestrian ramp structures to the West End Bridge from Manchester and the West End Neighborhoods
  • The Connectors Expansion: will improve sidewalk and street level approaches from surrounding neighborhoods to the Connectors access structures
  • The West End Trail Study: will explore the feasibility of further trail development along Saw Mill Run

Riverlife, a nonprofit committed to improving the City of Pittsburgh riverfronts, is investing more than $2 million in design and engineering to create accessible and equitable connections leading to the historic West End Bridge. Riverlife has partnered with architects Merritt Chase and a multidisciplinary team of experts for this transformational project.

This project is a collaborative effort between the City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN), and other partners. The projects are supported by the Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County Trail Development Fund and the PA Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Aerial View of Pittsburgh is shown from the North West highlighting the West End Bridge. All of Pittsburgh’s three rivers can be seen and the Three Rivers Heritage Trail is marked in blue. A dark green line shows where the project will connect to the M

Riverlife's service area includes the riverfront throughout downtown Pittsburgh between the 31st Street, Hot Metal and West End Bridges. These projects addresses one of the biggest gaps in "The Loop", Riverlife's vision of a continuous 15 mile loop of ADA accessible trails.

Access Structures


Map showing trail connections from the West End Bridge to Manchester . Broken orange lines trace North Point Dr. and Reedsdale St. on the north side of the bridge. Solid orgage lines trace the Three Rivers Heritage Trail along the Ohio River and Western

Public Engagement

March 13, 2024

Riverlife and El Dorado presented preferred designs for the proposed access structures at the West End Bridge, utilizing public comment to inform direction and goal setting.

Watch the full meeting by clicking the video below. Presentation documents can be located in the "Document Library" on this project page.

December 5, 2023

Riverlife hosted two community meetings to discuss three conceptual designs along with potential programming and landscaping designs based on feedback received from the community.

Click below to view a video of the full meeting.

April 6, 2023

Riverlife, along with Manchester Citizens Corporation, hosted an action-packed community meeting detailing plans in various development phases spanning from the Kamin Science Center to the Esplanade Project just down stream of the West End Bridge.

Project architects with El Dorado presented the current preferred designs of the accessible structures to connect the West End Bridge to the river path below.

View the full meeting by clicking the link below.