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 KINZUA VIADUCT - Hamlin Township PA Posted by:  nomadwillie
N 41° 45.580 W 078° 35.202
17T E 700620 N 4625906
Billed as the "Eighth Wonder of the World", the wrought iron original 1882 structure held the record for the tallest railroad bridge in the world for two years.
Waymark Code: WM1790R
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 01/05/2023
Views: 1
Text of sign reads"
KINZUA VIADUCT
Originaly begun in 1881 for the New York,
Lake Erie & Western Railroad to ship coal,
lumber, and oil, it was once the world's
highest and longest rail viaduct. Rebuilt
in 1900 to carry heavier loads, it was in
service until 1959. Kinzua Bridge State
Park was created here in 1963. In 2003
an F~1 tornado partially destroyed the
viaduct. Remaining towers were restored
and the skywalk constructed in 2011.
PENNSYLVANIA HISTORICAL AND MUSEUM COMMISSION 2011
The Kinzua Bridge or the Kinzua Viaduct was a railroad trestle that spanned Kinzua Creek in McKean County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The bridge was 301 feet (92 m) tall and 2,052 feet (625 m) long. Most of its structure collapsed during a tornado in July 2003.
Billed as the "Eighth Wonder of the World", the wrought iron original 1882 structure held the record for the tallest railroad bridge in the world for two years. In 1900, the bridge was dismantled and simultaneously rebuilt out of steel to allow it to accommodate heavier trains. It stayed in commercial service until 1959, when it was sold to a salvage company. In 1963 the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania purchased the bridge as the centerpiece of a state park.
Restoration of the bridge began in 2002, but before it was finished a tornado struck the bridge in 2003, causing a large portion of the bridge to collapse. Corroded anchor bolts holding the bridge to its foundations failed, contributing to the collapse.
Before its collapse, the Kinzua Bridge was ranked as the fourth-tallest railway bridge in the United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 and as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1982. The ruins of the Kinzua Bridge are in Kinzua Bridge State Park off U.S. Route 6 near the borough of Mount Jewett, Pennsylvania.
Kinzua Bridge - Wikipedia
Marker Name: KINZUA VIADUCT
County: McKean
Date Dedicated: 01/01/2011
Marker Type: City
Location: Kinzua Bridge State Park Visitor's Ctr., Viaduct Rd. off Lindholm Rd. (SR 3011), Hamlin Twp., 3.5 miles NE of Mount Jewett
Category: Business & Industry Transportation
Website: [Web Link]
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