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 Kinzua Bridge State Park - Mt. Jewett, Pennsylvania Posted by:  Szuchie
N 41° 45.073 W 078° 34.826
17T E 701168 N 4624984
Welcome to Kinzua Bridge State Park - the historic site of the Kinzua Bridge!
Waymark Code: WM34VJ
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 02/10/2008
Views: 98
The 329-acre Kinzua Bridge State Park is in McKean County and features remnants of a 2,100 foot railroad bridge that was a National Engineering Landmark. A tornado has knocked down much of the bridge - much of the remnants still like in the gorge below it.
According to the Allgheny National Forest Vacation Bureau:
Located just off scenic Route 6, east of Mt. Jewett, the Kinzua Bridge State Park is visited by thousands of sightseers. Walking across the bridge, one can see 15-20 miles of endless forest on a clear day. Or take it easy and hop aboard the Knox, Kane Railroad excursion train boarding at Kane or Marienville.
The Kinzua Railroad Viaduct is now the centerpiece of the Kinzua Bridge State Park. One finds lovely picnic areas, hiking trails, a scenic excursion train and breathtaking overlooks.
When completed in 1882, the Kinzua Railroad Bridge, or more accurately Viaduct, was acclaimed "the highest and longest railroad viaduct in the entire world." Rising 301 feet from the valley floor at its center, with a total length of 2100 feet, the viaduct is now a Registered National Civil Engineering Landmark. What an amazing structure!
An interesting note: local lore has it that a bank robber in 1900 buried $40,000 in gold within sight of the bridge. So come out and visit—see if you can find the gold! The Kinzua Bridge and surrounding park are open daily, year-round.
*Please note the coordinates above are for the entrance to Kinzua Bridge State Park. Overlook parking can be found at:
41 45.532
78 35.228
Park Type: Day Use
Activities:
Picnicing, trails, overlook
Park Fees:
Free
Background:
According to Pennyslvania's State Park website:
When built in 1882, Kinzua Viaduct was the highest railroad bridge in the world. It was constructed as an alternative to laying an additional eight miles of track over rough terrain along the line leading to McKean County’s coal, timber and oil lands.
Built of iron, the original viaduct was 301 feet high, 2,053 feet long, and weighed 3,105,000 pounds.
By 1900, it became necessary to rebuild the entire structure with steel to accommodate heavier trains. That May, about 100 to 150 men working ten-hour days completed the job in 105 days. The new steel viaduct had the same measurements, but now weighed 6,715,000 pounds.
Freight traffic discontinued in June of 1959. In 1963, Governor William Scranton signed a law that created Kinzua Bridge State Park. The park officially opened in 1970. In 1977, Kinzua Viaduct received national recognition when it was placed on the National Register of Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks.
Beginning in 1987, excursion trains traveled from Kane, PA through Allegheny National Forest, stopping on Kinzua Viaduct before returning to its point of origin.
Although the bridge received periodic inspections, it was not until a February 2002 DCNR inspection that engineers decided that the structure needed a full-scale inspection. In June, DCNR barred excursion trains from the bridge.
As the inspection continued, engineers found that sections of steel were rusted through. In August, the bridge was closed to all traffic, including pedestrians.
Engineers determined that high winds could create lateral pressure on the bridge. The wind hitting the bridge could shift the center of gravity, increasing the weight on one side. Such an event could send the whole bridge crashing to the bottom of Kinuza Gorge.
Beginning in February, 2003, W. M. Brode Co. of Newcomerstown, Ohio, a national leader in railroad bridge construction and repair, began working to restore Kinzua Viaduct.
On Monday, July 21, 2003, at approximately 3:15 p.m., an F1 tornado (wind speed 73 – 112 mph) struck the side of Kinzua Viaduct. Eleven towers from the center of the bridge were torn from their concrete bases and thrown to the valley floor. Fortunately no one was seriously injured.
Repairs continue in an effort to stabilize the remaining nine towers. DCNR is now in conducting feasibility studies to determine what to do with Kinzua Bridge.
Visitors may photograph and view the bridge from the observation deck adjacent to the bridge. Two spotting scopes are on the observation deck for a close-up look at tornado damage and bridge repairs.
Date Established?: 1963
Link to Park: [Web Link]
Additional Entrance Points: Not Listed
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