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==Construction== ==Construction==
The ] was designed by ] and ] and built in 1847-48 by ], of locally quarried random ] ], except for three brick interior longitudinal ] walls and the concrete base of the piers. This may have been the first structural use of concrete in American bridge construction. The ] was designed by ] and ] and built in 1847-48 by ], of local Pennsylvania quarried<ref>{{cite web |url=http://flagstones.org/2019/01/20/natural-cleft-pennsylvania-bluestone/ |title=NATURAL CLEFT PENNSYLVANIA BLUESTONE </ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nr.gov.nl.ca/nr/mines/geoscience/publications/of_nfld2865.pdf |title=Dimension Stone in Newfoundland and Labrador |last1=Evans |first1=DT |last2=Dickson |first2=WL |date=2004 |website=Government of Newfoundland and Labrador |access-date=25 January 2019}}</ref>|last2=Dickson |first2=WL |date=2004 |website=Government of Newfoundland and Labrador |access-date=25 January 2019}}</ref> random ] ], except for three brick interior longitudinal ] walls and the concrete base of the piers. This may have been the first structural use of concrete in American bridge construction.


It was built to solve an engineering problem posed by the wide valley of Starrucca Creek. The railroad considered building an ], but abandoned the idea because it was impractical. The Erie Railroad was well-financed by British investors, but even with money available, most American contractors at the time were incapable of the task. Julius W. Adams, the superintending engineer of construction in the area, hired James P. Kirkwood, a civil engineer who had worked on the ]. Accounts differ as to whether Kirkwood worked on the bridge himself, or whether Adams was responsible for the plans with Kirkwood working as a subordinate. The lead stonemason, Thomas Heavey, an Irish immigrant from County Offaly, had worked on other projects for Kirkwood, primarily in New England. It took 800 workers, each paid about $1 per day, equal to ${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|1|1848|r=2}}}} today, to complete the bridge in a year. The ] for the bridge required more than half a million feet of cored and hewn timbers. It was built to solve an engineering problem posed by the wide valley of Starrucca Creek. The railroad considered building an ], but abandoned the idea because it was impractical. The Erie Railroad was well-financed by British investors, but even with money available, most American contractors at the time were incapable of the task. Julius W. Adams, the superintending engineer of construction in the area, hired James P. Kirkwood, a civil engineer who had worked on the ]. Accounts differ as to whether Kirkwood worked on the bridge himself, or whether Adams was responsible for the plans with Kirkwood working as a subordinate. The lead stonemason, Thomas Heavey, an Irish immigrant from County Offaly, had worked on other projects for Kirkwood, primarily in New England. It took 800 workers, each paid about $1 per day, equal to ${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|1|1848|r=2}}}} today, to complete the bridge in a year. The ] for the bridge required more than half a million feet of cored and hewn timbers.

Revision as of 17:16, 31 January 2019

Bridge in Lanesboro, Pennsylvania
Starrucca Viaduct
A 1920 picture of the Starrucca Viaduct.
Coordinates41°57′46″N 75°35′00″W / 41.962790°N 75.583446°W / 41.962790; -75.583446
CarriesTwo tracks of the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway
CrossesStarrucca Creek
LocaleLanesboro, Pennsylvania
Maintained byNew York, Susquehanna and Western Railway
Characteristics
DesignStone arch bridge
Total length1,040 feet (320 m)
WidthTwo tracks
Longest spanSeventeen spans of 50 feet (15 m)
Clearance below100 feet (30 m)
History
Opened1848
Location

Starrucca Viaduct is a stone arch bridge that spans Starrucca Creek near Lanesboro, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Built at a cost of $320,000 (equal to $11,268,923 today), it was at the time of its construction thought to be the most expensive railway bridge in the world. It was the largest stone rail viaduct in the mid-19th century and is still in use.

Construction

The viaduct was designed by Julius W. Adams and James P. Kirkwood and built in 1847-48 by New York and Erie Railroad, of local Pennsylvania quarried|last2=Dickson |first2=WL |date=2004 |website=Government of Newfoundland and Labrador |access-date=25 January 2019}}</ref> random ashlar bluestone, except for three brick interior longitudinal spandrel walls and the concrete base of the piers. This may have been the first structural use of concrete in American bridge construction.

It was built to solve an engineering problem posed by the wide valley of Starrucca Creek. The railroad considered building an embankment, but abandoned the idea because it was impractical. The Erie Railroad was well-financed by British investors, but even with money available, most American contractors at the time were incapable of the task. Julius W. Adams, the superintending engineer of construction in the area, hired James P. Kirkwood, a civil engineer who had worked on the Long Island Rail Road. Accounts differ as to whether Kirkwood worked on the bridge himself, or whether Adams was responsible for the plans with Kirkwood working as a subordinate. The lead stonemason, Thomas Heavey, an Irish immigrant from County Offaly, had worked on other projects for Kirkwood, primarily in New England. It took 800 workers, each paid about $1 per day, equal to $35.22 today, to complete the bridge in a year. The falsework for the bridge required more than half a million feet of cored and hewn timbers.

The original single broad gauge track was replaced by two standard gauge tracks in 1886. The roadbed deck under the tracks was reinforced with a layer of concrete in 1958.

The bridge has been in continual use for more than a century and a half, and is still in use by the Norfolk Southern Railway. In 2005 Norfolk Southern leased the portion of the line from Port Jervis, New York to Binghamton, New York to the Delaware Otsego Corporation, which operates it under the name Central New York Railway. The only railroad currently using it is DO's New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway.

The viaduct is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

See also

References

  1. {{cite web |url=http://flagstones.org/2019/01/20/natural-cleft-pennsylvania-bluestone/ |title=NATURAL CLEFT PENNSYLVANIA BLUESTONE
  2. Evans, DT; Dickson, WL (2004). "Dimension Stone in Newfoundland and Labrador" (PDF). Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  3. "HAER survey drawings (sheet 1 of 3)". "HAER survey drawings (sheet 2 of 3)". "HAER survey drawings (sheet 3 of 3)". US Library of Congress. Retrieved 29 January 2016.

External links

US National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
Topics

Lists by county
Lists by city
Other lists
Bridges and tunnels on the National Register of Historic Places
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