Rob Lydick takes a closer look at the tornado and engineering weaknesses that led to the destruction of the Kinzua Bridge in July of 2003, and how what remained of the structure was re-invented for future generations.
My ancestors lived in this area from just after the Revolutionary War. A couple of years before the destruction of this bridge I participated in a Family Reunion nearby and one of our activities was to take the scenic railroad ride through the area. We waited and waited, but the steam engine never showed up, instead they sent this very old diesel-electric engine. When we got to the bridge, we had to get out because the bridge was considered unsafe for the weight of the engine and the engineer wouldn't cross it. Of course, they didn't tell us that when we bought the tickets. Many of us walked out over the bridge to get a sense of how spectacular and beautiful this view was. Just another example of extremely impressive old technology that is lost forever except in surviving pieces. Kind of like my Elgin pocket watch, a marvel, an absolute marvel of mechanical perfection and precision, that once was so ubiquitous and affordable so that just about every man owned one, but will never be made again.
I was at the bridge the Friday before the tornado hit it. One of the members of the construction crew told me that they had removed so many rivets, that rust was the only thing holding the bridge together in some parts. While I have no doubts that the tornado would have leveled the bridge anyway, I also think that the missing rivets that hadn't been replaced with bolts didn't help.
@americanrestoration4545 The storm that brought the tornado that knocked the bridge down affected the entire region. For Pennsylvanians, this was McKean and Warren counties. There was flooding, and, in some places, people were left without electricity and water for more than a week.
We were there in September. We had booked a train ride. Saw the collapsed bridge and realized that it was mostly rust. Better that it came down due to a tornado than to a train crossing it.
I found this walkway in a Pennsylvania travel guide. My curiosity about the skywalk brought me here to this video. Thank you for sharing this with all of us. I definitely have to add this to my bucket list!
We used to visit the bridge as a family annually for many years. The last time we were there was 2001. I was so upset when I heard of it’s demise. So much so that I didn’t go back until 2014. Yes, seeing those toppled towers was emotional, but seeing how the bridge and park were “reinvented” made it a little easier. We always hiked down through the valley and back across the bridge in the “olden days”. I decided in my 2014 visit to attempt the same. I waded through overgrowth among the downed steel. Eventually I got to a sign that read “Passage Prohibited Beyond This Point”. Not being one to obey signs, I continued on. I went no more than another 50 yards when I tripped in some underbrush and fell into some of the twisted wreckage. I ripped my pants and put a healthy gash in my leg. After regaining my composure I thought better of my choice to disobey the sign and went back the way I came. Lesson learned. 😊
I walked across it in 1987. A speeder rode past as I did and shook the bridge enough I decided to get a look at it from the ground on the way back. Almost made across that stream with dry feet.
This reminds me of the 2007 washout between Tillamook and Hillsboro Oregon. That is why the railroad is going to become the Salmonberry Trail just like the railroad between banks and Vernonia.
Low bid won the contract and they were HACKS! They were liable but the insurance paid off to cover it up and spin it rather than pay the 14 million to rebuild it!
Having to Google the location on my phone while watching on my TV just to gain context. First world problem, yes, but you are wrongly assuming viewers automatically know this location.
I happened to be in downtown Dallas the night that “Occupy Dallas “ came to an end. All I can say to these folks is good luck with that. When the Mounties came, it was over in minutes.
@@codymoe4986 It's called 'burying the lead.' The issue wasn't the wind. Can you imagine how many times that bridge has experienced winds greater than that? The story was that the construction rehab techniques had weakened it. Many areas of the country experience wind like this on a regular basis (such as Colorado Springs).
This Bridge/Line was owned by the Erie Railroad. The Baltimore and Ohio owned a line running north, parallel woth it. By the 1950s, the Erie got trackage rights over the B&O and stopped running trains on that line, and eventually sold it off When different railroads merging, especially in the 70s-80s, many lines were consolidated, sold off or simply abandoned because they were redundant or unprofitable at that point.
So many people forget that they have a Global audience and fail to even tell you the country to which they are referring. Kinzua sounds like an African name.
Why don’t they just repair the bridge, and use the train tracks again? Mother Nature is a bitch, we know this, but just letting the bridge go is stupid, immature, and ridiculous.
The bridge was originally used for hauling coal. After the local mines shut down it was used for sightseeing trains. There would need to be a way for it to be profitable for somebody to pay to rebuild it. Also, it is in a state park. If you would have the opportunity to visit I highly recommend it. Very scenic and historical and the visitor center is very interesting and informative.
