Kinzua Bridge Reopens to the Public

The Kinzua Viaduct, closed to pedestrian traffic since 2002, has reopened to the public. Following the destruction of the bridge by a tornado in July, 2003, the remaining structure has been stabilized and repaired, and an observation deck has been constructed on the remaining towers. this video gives a brief history and short tour of the newly renovated structure.

Three notes : First, the video says the bridge was over 2200' long. Actually, the official length of the bridge was 2035'. I made a typo in the narrative and didn't catch it until the video was already posted.

Second, I wrote in the narrative that at one point the bridge was to be sold for scrap. I have since been told that this was not precisely the case. When the railroad abandoned the line, the land beneath the right-of-way reverted to the original land owners. At the time, those owners requested that the trestle be removed. However, interested parties (including the Commonwealth) negotiated to obtain the land and bridge as a State Park, preventing its demolition.

Third, the animation of the bridge collapse as determined by the DCNR can be found at the following link. The annotation editor would not allow me to embed the link in the video itself...

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/info/kinzuabridgereport/anim.html

Thanks.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Kinzua
• Bridge
• Viaduct
• DCNR
• PA
• State
• Park
• Skywalk

[4Cummins4]

Very nice video! Such a shame that we can give so much money to all these other contries but won't spend money on something like this in our own country! I think the bridge should have been rebuilt completely, out of respect to the men and women who risked their lives building this wonderful bridge!

[pumpkinsandmusic]

donald trump would very easy give that much money to rebuild as long as over the next 10 years he got 51 millon back

[BMWM3GTRLOVER]

thumbs up if you think they should rebuild the bridge completely

[acboy40]

nice you picked the song off of backdraft

[dmblongwood]

Way to go DNCR !!

[srockport]

I have never been here but your video makes me want to visit. You did a fabulous job on this. Thank you!

[srjohnpaulOSB]

I remember as a child going to the bridge with my dad. It was a place of many memories for my family and neighbors. It is nice to see that we can still visit this beautiful place. Thanks for posting this.

[BriannaLynnX33]

Been there so many times as a child. Loved the video

[justj5036]

My heart is whole again. I've loved the bridge since the first time my cousin Sally took me there as a child to the times I rode my bike there, went out in the winter with the MYF, to taking my first boyfriend there, and climbing the hill and crossing the bridge with my new husband and my nieces and nephew. I was devastated when I heard what had happened. I can't wait to see it again. I have a picture of the old bridge in the fall as my screensaver on my school computer. My students love it

[Skillbiscutt]

I still believe this area to be the most beautiful areas I have ever visited. I have seriously traveled all over the world and have never found a place to compare. I was really sad when the bridge was knocked over, and I am now happy to see it has been re-purposed.