I just heard on TV that the Kinzu bridge fell during some pretty bad storms we had yesterday. It was 120 years old, I belive, and it certainly wasn't small. Some of you may have been there, its a fairly common tourist attraction. I think trains still ran across it.
Kinzu bridge falls
- Thread starter ViperMagic
- Start date
- Nov 27, 1999
- 64,822
- 375
- 126
kranky
Elite Member
- Oct 9, 1999
- 21,014
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That's a shame. I've been there and it was an impressive sight. It's incredible that the bridge was built over a hundred years ago - in four months. Today, it would take longer than that just to reach agreement on the size of the environmental impact study.
BrunoPuntzJones
Lifer
- Feb 24, 2001
- 14,550
- 4
- 81
were cars allowed to travel on it ?
damn if they were, just imagine what would have happened during rush hour traffic.
damn if they were, just imagine what would have happened during rush hour traffic.
HARRISBURG (July 22, 2003) ? A powerful storm passing through Northwestern Pennsylvania yesterday afternoon caused considerable damage to Kinzua Bridge State Park in McKean County, including the partial collapse of the historic Kinzua Viaduct.
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and its contractor were in the midst of a multi-million dollar emergency repair project to restore the 2,053-foot-long structure. The agency last summer had closed the bridge, which annually draws thousands of pedestrian and excursion train travelers, after regular inspections showed severe rusting and deterioration within its steel understructure.
?We are very fortunate that no one sustained serious injuries, but we are saddened about the extensive damage to this engineering landmark,? said State Park Director Roger Fickes.
An unusual wind event struck the area around 3:15 p.m. Monday, crumbling 11 of the 20 towers to the bridge, snapping hundreds of trees, and collapsing a park maintenance shed. A park worker in the shed at the time of its collapse is being treated for minor injuries. No workers were on or around the bridge at the time of collapse.
Powerful winds approached the bridge from the east, opposite of normal wind patterns. Several tornadoes were sighted in the region yesterday.
Six piers on the side of the bridge with the observation deck are left standing, as well as three on the other side of the bridge. The middle of the bridge, with the largest support towers, toppled from the winds.
DCNR and it emergency contractor, W.M. Brode Co. of Newcomerstown, Ohio, began emergency repair work in February. Two full-time crews?at times numbering more than 30 workers?were assigned to the bridge work, which entailed repairs to the bottom struts of the towers, the tower legs and their lacings, and replacement of gusset brackets.
The Kinzua Bridge was completed in 1882. At the time, it was the highest railroad bridge in the world at 301 feet from the valley floor. The structure was rebuilt in 1900 to handle heavier trains; it went unused from 1959 to 1987.
The state park around the bridge officially opened in 1970. In 1977, the Kinzua Viaduct received national recognition when it was placed on the National Register of Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks.
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and its contractor were in the midst of a multi-million dollar emergency repair project to restore the 2,053-foot-long structure. The agency last summer had closed the bridge, which annually draws thousands of pedestrian and excursion train travelers, after regular inspections showed severe rusting and deterioration within its steel understructure.
?We are very fortunate that no one sustained serious injuries, but we are saddened about the extensive damage to this engineering landmark,? said State Park Director Roger Fickes.
An unusual wind event struck the area around 3:15 p.m. Monday, crumbling 11 of the 20 towers to the bridge, snapping hundreds of trees, and collapsing a park maintenance shed. A park worker in the shed at the time of its collapse is being treated for minor injuries. No workers were on or around the bridge at the time of collapse.
Powerful winds approached the bridge from the east, opposite of normal wind patterns. Several tornadoes were sighted in the region yesterday.
Six piers on the side of the bridge with the observation deck are left standing, as well as three on the other side of the bridge. The middle of the bridge, with the largest support towers, toppled from the winds.
DCNR and it emergency contractor, W.M. Brode Co. of Newcomerstown, Ohio, began emergency repair work in February. Two full-time crews?at times numbering more than 30 workers?were assigned to the bridge work, which entailed repairs to the bottom struts of the towers, the tower legs and their lacings, and replacement of gusset brackets.
The Kinzua Bridge was completed in 1882. At the time, it was the highest railroad bridge in the world at 301 feet from the valley floor. The structure was rebuilt in 1900 to handle heavier trains; it went unused from 1959 to 1987.
The state park around the bridge officially opened in 1970. In 1977, the Kinzua Viaduct received national recognition when it was placed on the National Register of Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks.
Look at the trees laid down leading to the bridge site. Even if the bridge was brand new it would've been blown to bits. Wind speeds were well over 100 MPH in a straight line opposite the normal direction for the area. Nothing would've withstood that.
Triumph
Lifer
- Oct 9, 1999
- 15,031
- 13
- 81
Damn! That sucks majorly. I visited there as a kid; we used to go to alot of great railway places in Central PA. What a sight that was! My mother refused to walk across it.
For those of you wondering, there's plenty of room to walk across and not get run off by a train, ala Stand By Me. And wtf is up with this?
For those of you wondering, there's plenty of room to walk across and not get run off by a train, ala Stand By Me. And wtf is up with this?
SOME damage? LOL!
Well it's a better quote, then "Shet, that thing is darn broke in half. I'm mean just look at it, god damn."
Thats it?! It looks like it would take years to build something like that, especially back in the 1800s
LOL Men worked like 60-80 hours a week;
especially when they were trying to build something while the weather was reasonable.
basically its like a giant Erector set,easy to build.
First introduced in 1914, the Erector Set was inspired by railroad workers assembling an electrical system out of girders and rivets. Budding engineers can construct airplanes, pulleys, steam shovels, barges and hundreds of other projects with the 643 metal parts, 6V motor, tools, instructions and more, all included with this deluxe Special Edition Millennium Set. Packed in an 11x9x2-1/2" storage case. Ages 8 to adult
Anyone who's not afraid of heights. I've walked across railroad bridges. They're strong enough to hold up trains, it's not like they'll collapse under the weight of someone walking across them.
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