You Can Still Get High on the Kinzua Bridge

May 24, 2012 8:54 AM

The Kinzua Bridge has been partly restored, and it has a glass-bottomed platform now. Once billed as the Eighth Wonder of the World, the Kinzua Viaduct held the record for tallest railroad bridge in the world for two years. Although long surpassed in height, the old bridge drew visitors long past the point where it was in active use by a railroad.

The area is beautiful and somewhat remote. A group of dedicated volunteers were in fact working to stabilize and preserve the structure when winds struck and wrenched it down. As the cost of total reconstruction was too great, a partial reconstruction has created the new Kinzua Bridge Skywalk where one can still experience a spectacular feat of 19th century engineering.

posted by kinnakeet (11 comments total)

Excellent news!

I haven't heard of this project before, but having done the Walkway Over the Hudson a couple of times, it's a marvellous repurposing of an obsolete object for the greater public good. Hooray!
posted by Capt. Renault at 9:05 AM on May 24, 2012

That sure did fall down pretty good.
posted by smackfu at 9:07 AM on May 24, 2012

This is at least the third time today I have heard/read the phrase "Once billed as the Eighth Wonder of the World", all for different things.
posted by edgeways at 9:24 AM on May 24, 2012

Wikipedia's list of Things Labeled as the Eighth Wonder of the World
posted by Faint of Butt at 9:28 AM on May 24, 2012 [1 favorite]

I nominate Wikipedia as the Eighth Wonder of the World
posted by leotrotsky at 9:29 AM on May 24, 2012 [7 favorites]

leotrotsky, why not the Internet as a whole?
posted by Faint of Butt at 9:36 AM on May 24, 2012

Neat! Reminds me of the Moodna Viaduct in New York, which is much longer but not quite as tall.
posted by plastic_animals at 10:30 AM on May 24, 2012

The Lethbridge Viaduct looks quite similar. (Totally different landscape, of course)
posted by Pruitt-Igoe at 11:02 AM on May 24, 2012

A friend of mine, who was at the time an oil company employee, hosted several thirsty Texans at his Braddock home and he took them to the Kinzua bridge. It was late at night, the men had been merry, and it was very, very dark. This was the 80s before the thing blew over. Anyway, he led them, mostly by memory and groping, to what he gauged to be the center of the span without explaining what they were walking on. Then he tossed an empty bottle over the side.
posted by kinnakeet at 11:27 AM on May 24, 2012 [1 favorite]

I got anxious just watching the videos. Cool post.
posted by drezdn at 12:06 PM on May 24, 2012

Ahh, the Kinzua Bridge. Even after two thirds of it was devoured by the abyss, it was not closed very well. I recall many a fond moment spent in the grip of paralyzing terror before the screaming of my brain quieted enough to allow it to send the necessary message to my legs to get me off it get me off it oh god get me off it now. A favorite spot for sorority outings.
posted by notquitemaryann at 6:47 PM on May 24, 2012