This and the McKees Rocks Bridge (1931, George S. Richardson, engineer; Ohio River Blvd., Termon Ave., and the Ohio River) went up as part of Allegheny County's energetic interwar program of improvements to its infrastructure, especially bridges and roads. The West End Bridge capitalizes on the 755-foot clear span of its steel parabolic arch to make an unforgettable impression as it bounds over the Ohio and simultaneously frames a view of Pittsburgh's Point. The McKees Rocks Bridge, a mere 2.5 miles northwest, unites five different units to achieve its length of nearly a mile over the “bottoms” of McKees Rocks and the Ohio. The engineering solution was to use a central through-arch of steel over the river itself, with vertical stays stiffening the deck and four severe stone pylons to give appropriate structural and visual support.