Notable Railroad Bridges

of The United States

Name	Built	Railroad Built For	Material	Length	Deck Height	Over	Location	Status	Notes
Carizzo Gorge Timber Trestle		San Diego & Arizona Eastern RR	Wood	650 ft	185 ft		California
Leisey Bridge		Reading	Steel	1,025 ft (est)		Schuylkill River	Reading, PA	NS active
Berkshire Bridge		Reading	Steel	810 ft (est)		Schuylkill River	Reading, PA	NS active
Seanor Viaduct		Pennsylvania	Steel	541 ft (est)		Dark Shade Creek	Seanor, PA	NS active
Ryde Bridge		Pennsylvania	Stone	895 ft (est)		Juniata River	Ryde, PA	NS/AMTK active
Carrollton Viaduct	1829	Baltimore & Ohio	Stone	312 ft	65 ft	Gwynns Falls River	Baltimore, MD	CSX, active	Oldest railroad (not light rail) bridge still used in the world
Thomas Viaduct	1835	Baltimore & Ohio	Stone	614 ft	80 ft	Patapsco River	Relay, MD	CSX, active
Canton Viaduct	1835	Boston & Providence Railroad	Stone	615 ft	70 ft	Canton River	Canton, MA	MBTA/Amtrak, active
Reading-Hills Station Bridge	1846	Reading	Iron	69 ft			Muncy, PA	Farm road, active	Oldest standing iron railroad bridge in the US; removed sometime after 1888 from original location
Starrucca Viaduct	1848	Erie	Stone	1,040 ft	120 ft	Starrucca Creek	Lanesboro, PA	NS/NYSW, active
Contoocook River Bridge	1850	Concord & Claremont	Wood	140 ft	20 ft	Contoocook River	Hopkinton, NH	out of service	Knocked off abutments in two floods and repositioned
Young's High Bridge	1889	Louisville Southern	Steel	1,659 ft	283 ft	Kentucky River	Tyrone, KY	NS, out of service	Never strengthend; possible tourist operation use
Columbia River Bridge	1892	Great Northern	Steel	906 ft	70 ft	Columbia River	Wenatchee, WA	BNSF, active
Delair Bridge	1896	Pennsylvania	Steel	4,396 ft		Philadelphia	Philadelphia, PA	CSX/NS/NJT, active	Converted from swing to lift bridge in 1960
Port Perry Hot Metal Bridge	1898	Union Railroad	Steel	2,505 ft (est)		Monongahela River	Pittsburgh, PA	URR, active
Kinzua Viaduct	1900	Erie	Steel	2,053 ft	301 ft	Kinzua Creek		State park	Mostly destoyed by tornado 7/03
Kate Shelley High Bridge	1901	Chicago & Northwestern	Steel	2,685 ft	185 ft	Des Moines River	Boone, IA	UP, active
Rockville Bridge	1902	Pennsylvania	Stone/concrete	3,820 ft	65 ft	Susquehanna River	Rockville, PA	NS/AMTK, active	Longest stone/concrete arch bridge in the world
Port Perry Bridge	1903	Pennsylvania	Steel	1,496 ft	46 ft	Monongahela River	Pittsburgh, PA	NS, active
High Line Bridge	1904	Pennsylvania	Steel	8,580 ft (est)	50 ft	Philadelphia	Philadelphia, PA	CSX/NS, active	Incorporated longest brick arch bridge in the world
Pogue Bridge	1904	East Broad Top	Steel	268 ft		Aughwick Creek	Pogue, PA	EBT, out of service	Longest and highest bridge on the EBT; built on 1889 piers
Shocks Mills Bridge	1904	Pennsylvania	Brick Arch/Concrete/Steel	2,209 ft		Susquehanna River	Marietta, PA	NS, active	Partially collapsed in 1972 flood and rebuilt
Greene County RR Viaduct	1906	Illinois Central	Steel	2,295 ft	180 ft	Richland Creek	Greene Co., IN	CN, active
Mt. Union Bridge 147	1906	Pennsylvania	Stone	700 ft (est)	55 ft (est)	Juniata River	Mt. Union, PA	NS/AMTK, active
Crooked River Bridge	1910	Spokane, Portland & Seatle	Steel	460 ft	320 ft	Crooked River	Crooked River Gorge, Oregon	BNSF/UP, active
Paulinskill Viaduct	1910	Delaware Lackawanna & Western	Concrete	1,100 ft	115 ft	Paulinskill River	Hainesburg, NJ	NJT, out of service	AKA Hainesburg Viaduct; tracks removed 1984
Delaware River Viaduct	1911	Delaware Lackawanna & Western	Concrete	1,450 ft	65 ft	Delaware River	NJ/PA	NJT, out of service	Tracks removed 1984
Long Bridge	1911	Huntingdon & Broad Top	Steel	790 ft		Juniata River	Huntingdon, PA	NS, out of service	15 spans
Keystone Viaduct	1911	Western Maryland	Steel	910 ft		Flaugherty Creek	Glade City, PA	Alleghenny Highlands Trail
Salisbury Viaduct	1912	Western Maryland	Steel	1,908 ft	101 ft	Casselman River	Meyersdale, PA	Alleghenny Highlands Trail
Weston Viaduct	1914	Northern Pacific	Steel	1,119 ft	163 ft	Green River	Lester, WA	BNSF, active
Aughwick Creek Bridge	1914	East Broad Top	Concrete	203 ft	23 ft	Aughwick Creek	Aughwick Mills, pA	EBT, out of service	Possibly the first reinforced concrete bridge in the US
Ohio Connecting (OC) Bridge	1915	Pennsylvania	Steel	4,555 ft	68 ft	Ohio River	Pittsburgh, PA	NS, active
Tunkahannock Viaduct	1915	Delaware Lackawanna & Western	Concrete	2,375 ft	240 ft	Tunkhannock Creek	Nicholson, PA	CP/NS, active	AKA Nicholson Viaduct
The Cumberland Valley Bridge	1916	Pennsylvania	Concrete	4,120 ft (est)		Susquehanna River	Harrisburg, PA	Amtrak, out of service
Hell Gate Bridge	1917	New York Connecting	Steel/Concrete	17,000 ft	160 ft	East River		AMTK/CP/CSX/PW, active
The Reading Bridge	1922	Reading	Concrete	3,885 ft (est)		Susquehanna River	Harrisburg, PA	NS, active
High Steel Bridge	1929	Simpson Timber	Steel		400+ ft	Skokomish River	Washington	active	Converted to road
Vance Creek Bridge	1929	Simpson Timber	Steel	800+ ft	347 ft	Vance Creek	Washington	Abandoned	Highest railroad bridge in the US
Huey P. Long Bridge	1935	Public Belt Line	Steels	22,996 ft	170 ft	Mississippi River	Jefferson Parish, LA	PBL(UP/CSX), active	Longest railroad bridge in the US
Pecos River High Bridge	1944	Southern Pacific	Steel	1,390 ft	265 ft	Pecos River	Texas	UP, active	Tallest main line bridge in the US; once 322 ft high when river was more shallow

Notes:
- The Santa Tereza streetcar line operates over a multiple-arch collonade originally constructed around 1730-1750 to carry the city's water.

Copyright © 2003-2009 Lance Myers. All rights reserved.

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