Three Rivers Park: Currently under construction by the people of Pittsburgh

Three Rivers Park is Pittsburgh's 13-mile interconnected riverfront park system. The Park is currently defined by the boundaries of the West End Bridge on the Ohio River, the 31st Street Bridge on the Allegheny River, and the Hot Metal Bridge on the Monongahela River.

The vision for this 13-mile interconnected loop of riverfront trails, parks and riverside amenities was first unveiled in Riverlife’s AIA award-winning 2001 A Vision Plan for Pittsburgh’s Riverfronts. With almost 80% of the park complete and many more projects underway, Three Rivers Park is shaping up to be unlike any urban waterfront in the world.



Keep reading to find out more about the riverfront projects that make up Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Park.

16th & 31st Street Bridges

Pittsburgh’s historic bridges are an essential part of the city’s identity. Not only are they crucial for transportation and connections between neighborhoods, they also provide a unique perspective from which to view the topography of…

Allegheny Riverfront Green Boulevard

The Allegheny Riverfront Vision Plan was developed throughout 2009-2010 by the City of Pittsburgh, the Urban Redevelopment Authority and Riverlife for the many southern edge river communities along the Allegheny, including the Strip…

Convention Center Riverfront Plaza

Pittsburgh’s grand David L. Lawrence Convention Center debuted in 2003 and was immediately recognized internationally for its sustainable design as the largest Gold LEED-rated building in the world. This huge symbol of sustainability…

Headwaters of the Ohio River Basin

This area encircling the headwaters of the Ohio River is one of the most dramatic landscapes in any American city.  Riverlife is developing a plan for this basin that integrates environmental regeneration with real estate development and…

Hot Metal Bridge

The Hot Metal Bridge – originally built to transport molten steel from one plant to another via railcar – now connects the SouthSide Works residential and retail complex to a new business park across the Monongahela River. Thanks to a…

Mon Wharf Switchback

The Mon Wharf Switchback will provide a leisurely transition from bridge elevation to shore, allowing users to savor the dramatic terrain that defines Pittsburgh. The Switchback will provide a grand entry ramp, friendly for hiking,…

Monongahela Wharf Landing

Read about Riverlife's Wood Street / Mon Wharf public art design team commission with Point Park University and Pittsburgh's Office of Public Art (Spring 2011)

Our challenge: take a paved parking lot and put in a paradise. Result:…

North Shore Riverfront Park & Trail

Anyone who’s ever crossed a bridge from downtown Pittsburgh to the North Shore knows that the view of the city across the Allegheny River is breathtaking. Riverfront planners realized the opportunity as plans for the city’s North Shore…

Point State Park Connector

The Point State Park Connector is a traffic-free, non-motorized ramp that will connect Point State Park to the western side of the Mon Wharf Landing.  Currently, the only access in this area is via a 4 foot wide path adjacent to…

Point State Park Renovation

Point State Park is a 36-acre state park and National Historic Landmark located at the confluence of the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh and Three Rivers Park. Originally legislated as a “passive…

Riverfront Lighting Plan

The Riverfront Lighting plan will supplement the reflections of surrounding buildings on the water’s surface with lighting at the water’s surface to celebrate the joining of two major rivers into the mighty Ohio.  It will excite the…

Rivers Casino

Rivers Casino is an inspiring example of what happens when private development takes shape as part of the master plan guidelines for Three Rivers Park.

Completed in 2009 by Gaming Holdings, Rivers Casino has already become a landmark…

South Shore Riverfront Park

At the SouthSide Works in Pittsburgh's South Side neighborhood, a former steel mill barge dock has been converted to a riverfront park in an innovative project that straddles a railroad tunnel and overcomes a 40’ drop in elevation to…

South Side Riverfront Trail

This trail along the south shore of the Monongahela River bring residents right down to the water.  A welcome five-mile route for hikers, cyclists and other outdoor enthusiasts, the SouthSide Riverfront Trail begins in the South Side…

Station Square

This former station for the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad on the southern bank of the Monongahela River represented a dramatic step forward in riverfront retail development. To the delight of Pittsburgh history enthusiasts, Station…

The Point State Park Fountain

The fountain at Point State Park is Pittsburgh’s heroic moment.  It is the dramatic first image that visitors have of the city – our front door.  And it is the focal point of a vibrant network of riverfront parks that is unmatched in…

Washington’s Landing

The potential was clear. Take an island in the middle of the Allegheny River, just a stone’s throw from Downtown, and turn it into a residential destination. The challenge was great: Herr’s Island was an industrial brownfield site with…

West End Pedestrian Bridge

The West End Bridge, considered an engineering masterpiece since it opened in 1932, crosses the Ohio River about a mile from Point State Park and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. However, it features no meaningful…