May 15th, 2017 : Kinzua Bridge

The Kinzua Bridge or the Kinzua Viaduct was a railroad trestle that spanned Kinzua Creek in McKean County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The bridge was originally built from wrought iron in 1882 and was billed as the "Eighth Wonder of the World", holding the record as the tallest railroad bridge in the world for two years.

In 1900, the bridge was dismantled and simultaneously rebuilt out of steel to allow it to accommodate heavier trains. It stayed in commercial service until 1959. Sold to the Government of Pennsylvania in 1963, becoming the centerpiece of a state park.

Restoration of the bridge began in 2002, but before it was finished, a tornado struck the bridge in 2003, causing a large portion of the bridge to collapse. Corroded anchor bolts holding the bridge to its foundations failed, contributing to the collapse.

Before its collapse in 2003, the bridge was 301 feet (92 m) tall and 2,052 feet (625 m) long, ranked as the fourth-tallest railway bridge in the United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 and as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1982. The ruins of the Kinzua Bridge are in Kinzua Bridge State Park off U.S. Route 6 near the borough of Mount Jewett, Pennsylvania.

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Awwww, that's sad. Can't they do something with that space like put in a zip line so people can get a bird's-eye view of what remains?

A lot of states do not allow new construction in State Park lands; some State Parks are more heavily regulated than National Parks. Also, considering that a tornado took it apart, the state may be concerned about liability issues with building another extremely tall metal structure now that we know there is an attraction between tornadoes and large concentrations of metal. (I think it's believed to have to do with the massive amount of static electricity a tornado's wind generates, along with the fact that tornado-producing storms are usually electrical to begin with.)

Judging by the undisturbed greenway, the state may not even allow hiking in the area. I don't see any trails, but I can understand how a state government would be reluctant to let Ma n Pa Yokel Outta-Staters take their kids and go poke around the unstable rusty metal ruins. Edit: Yes I do see a trail, on the far riverbank. But I bet there's warning signs everyplace, and I for one wouldn't go poking around there without a tetanus shot--and tetanus shots SUCK.

If tourism by drone flight ever becomes a hugely popular thing, this is the kind of place to fly a drone with a camera!

Snakeadelic;988686 wrote:

we know there is an attraction between tornadoes and large concentrations of metal. (I think it's believed to have to do with the massive amount of static electricity a tornado's wind generates, along with the fact that tornado-producing storms are usually electrical to begin with.)

Um.

This is nothing I have ever heard before and I am skeptical.

Tagline!

Snakeadelic;988686 wrote:

...now that we know there is an attraction between tornadoes and large concentrations of metal. (I think it's believed to have to do with the massive amount of static electricity a tornado's wind generates, along with the fact that tornado-producing storms are usually electrical to begin with.)

Please tell me that was a tongue-in-cheek statement.

Even if it wasn't, please tell me it was.