October 2, 2014:
Located in McKean County PA, just north of Mt. Jewett PA, this park is home to the newly reinvented Kinzua Viaduct. The Viaduct, once known as the longest and tallest railroad bridge in the world at 2,053 feet long and 301 feet high, was originally built in 1882 and was a working railroad bridge until the early 1960s. It was partially destroyed by a tornado in 2003, when eleven towers near the center of the bridge were ripped off their concrete bases and toppled to the valley floor. In 2011, the engineering masterpiece was reinvented on six restored original towers to showcase the structure and it's history. The eleven twisted bridge towers that were blown over remain at the bottom of the gorge.
On the new pedestrian walkway/skywalk, visitors can stroll 600 feet out on the remaining support towers, peer miles out into the Kinzua Gorge for great views of the Kinzua Creek Valley, as well as the eleven downed towers that were left lying on the valley floor. There is also a partial glass platform at the end of the walkway, for peering down at the valley below.
We visited for the first time in late August 2014. This is what we saw then:
View looking down from glass panels
Flattened towers laying on valley floor
Wildflowers
The views were fantastic in August, but we could also imagine how great it would be during peak fall foliage time, so we returned there on October 2, 2014.
We weren't disappointed!
Fall color in the valley!
View from scenic viewpoint
Underneath the structure
Post Note:
When we visited in October, we found on-going construction on the grounds around the bridge. According to a newspaper article a new multi-million dollar visitors' center and Bendigo office complex is being built. The two story office building and visitors' center is to contain approximately 12,750-square-feet of floor space for the administrative and operational business of the three-park complex - Bendigo, Elk and Kinzua Bridge state parks. Staff from these parks will be relocating at Kinzua Bridge State Park.
The article goes on to say: architects have designed the structure to include a reception area/lobby, along with classrooms that can be used for interpretive learning. Three themes have been built into the center: engineering since the Kinzua Viaduct was once considered "the Eighth Wonder of the World"; the environment, including details about the 2003 tornado that destroyed part of the bridge; and energy, which is to concentrate on the viaduct's past importance in transporting energy resources such as timber, coal, gas, oil and petroleum.
Hopefully it will all be completed when we return in the spring to see it again!
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