The Kinzua Bridge was a railroad trestle that was constructed out of steel in 1900, replacing an earlier one that was built from wrought iron.
As with many things it was billed as an eighth wonder of the world, as it held the record as the tallest railroad bridge in the world for a few years.
It was in service until 1959, at which time it became part of a state park.
Rising to a height of 301′ above the lowest part of the valley it is an impressive structure.
Unfortunately in 2003 a tornado struck the bridge and took out a large portion of it.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania however had preserved it since they first received it in the early 1960s, and they had no intention of letting the rest come down.
When you hike down to Kinzua Creek you get the first up close view of the destruction.
Twisted steel is everywhere.
Huge beams came down, pull the rest of the structure with it.
From the bottom of the valley you get a real sense of how high the remaining structure is.
Taking a different path back up rewarded us with a great view underneath.
From back on top (and using a zoom lense) you get a sense of the impact of the tornado.
With one final look at the twisted steel.
The most impressive piece of the remaining structure is the skywalk – with it’s Plexiglas viewing spot of the valley 300′ below.
The Kinzua Bridge is a great place to visit and explore.
RDZ Photography 