Amtrak Susquehanna River Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Amtrak Susquehanna River Bridge is a Howe deck truss
structure which carries two tracks of Amtrak
's Northeast Corridor
line across the Susquehanna River
between Havre de Grace
and Perryville
, Maryland
.
granted the first licenses to operate a toll ferry service between Perryville and what is now Havre de Grace. In 1837, railroad lines extending south from Wilmington, Delaware
and north from Baltimore
arrived at the riverbanks. For 29 years, including the duration of the American Civil War
, a train ferry
exchanged passengers (on foot) and freight cars between the two towns. Passenger cars could not be transported until the introduction of a larger ferryboat in 1854.
In 1866, the wooden, single track
Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore (PW&B) railroad bridge
was completed after 12 years of intermittent construction. Iron reinforcements were added between 1874 and 1880. In 1881, the Pennsylvania Railroad formally took control of the PW&B. Rival Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, cut off from access to the PW&B and its links to Philadelphia, was forced to construct a parallel route between Baltimore and Philadelphia, including a new bridge located about 1 miles (1.6 km) upstream. The present (1906) bridge was built immediately adjacent to the PW&B structure and completely replaced it.
The structure was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad
(PRR) during 1904–1906, opening on May 29, 1906. It includes a center swing span to increase vertical clearance for water traffic from the nominal 52 feet (15.8 m). In 1934–1935, the PRR installed catenary
on the span when 11,000 volt electrification
was extended south from Wilmington, Delaware
, to Washington, D.C.
Regular electrified passenger service across the bridge began on February 10, 1935.
Ownership of the bridge passed to Amtrak in 1976 when it acquired much of the Northeast Corridor infrastructure.
passenger trains cross the bridge on weekdays at a maximum speed of 90 miles per hour (144.8 km/h). Approximately 12 freight trains a day cross at a maximum speed of 30 miles per hour (48.3 km/h). Freight traffic, operated by Norfolk Southern Railway
under a trackage rights
agreement, is generally restricted to nighttime hours to avoid interference with passenger operations.
The only significant commercial water traffic under the bridge consists of barges from a large granite quarry just upstream of Havre de Grace. The bridge's swing span rarely needs to be opened; vessels which require such an opening must provide 24-hour advance notice.
In 2005 and 2007, Amtrak replaced the ties on the bridge, installed continuous welded rail, and installed new deck-level maintenance walkways. They believe these changes will extend the life of the bridge for another 20–25 years. In May 2011, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced $22 million in funding for engineering and environmental work to replace the bridge. The Bush River
and Gunpowder River
bridges, two spans of similar age on the Northeast Corridor in Maryland, are also under consideration for replacement.
Truss bridge
A truss bridge is a bridge composed of connected elements which may be stressed from tension, compression, or sometimes both in response to dynamic loads. Truss bridges are one of the oldest types of modern bridges...
structure which carries two tracks of Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
's Northeast Corridor
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
line across the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
between Havre de Grace
Havre de Grace, Maryland
Havre de Grace is a city in Harford County, Maryland, United States. Located at the mouth of the Susquehanna River and the head of the Chesapeake Bay, Havre de Grace is named after the port city of Le Havre, France, which was first named Le Havre de Grâce, meaning in French "Harbor of Grace." As...
and Perryville
Perryville, Maryland
Perryville is a town in Cecil County, Maryland, United States. The population was 3,672 at the 2000 census. The town is located off Interstate 95, on the north side of the mouth of the Susquehanna River.-History:...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
.
History
The vicinity of the bridge has been used as a river crossing for over 300 years. In 1695, the colonial General AssemblyMaryland General Assembly
The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is a bicameral body. The upper chamber, the Maryland State Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamber, the Maryland House of Delegates, has 141 representatives...
granted the first licenses to operate a toll ferry service between Perryville and what is now Havre de Grace. In 1837, railroad lines extending south from Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
and north from Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
arrived at the riverbanks. For 29 years, including the duration of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, a train ferry
Train ferry
A train ferry is a ship designed to carry railway vehicles. Typically, one level of the ship is fitted with railway tracks, and the vessel has a door at the front and/or rear to give access to the wharves. In the United States, train ferries are sometimes referred to as "car ferries", as...
exchanged passengers (on foot) and freight cars between the two towns. Passenger cars could not be transported until the introduction of a larger ferryboat in 1854.
In 1866, the wooden, single track
Single track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore (PW&B) railroad bridge
P.W. & B. Railroad Bridge
The P.W. & B. Railroad Bridge was the first bridge over the Susquehanna River built by the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad in 1866 as part of the first mainline railroad between Philadelphia and Baltimore...
was completed after 12 years of intermittent construction. Iron reinforcements were added between 1874 and 1880. In 1881, the Pennsylvania Railroad formally took control of the PW&B. Rival Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, cut off from access to the PW&B and its links to Philadelphia, was forced to construct a parallel route between Baltimore and Philadelphia, including a new bridge located about 1 miles (1.6 km) upstream. The present (1906) bridge was built immediately adjacent to the PW&B structure and completely replaced it.
The structure was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
(PRR) during 1904–1906, opening on May 29, 1906. It includes a center swing span to increase vertical clearance for water traffic from the nominal 52 feet (15.8 m). In 1934–1935, the PRR installed catenary
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
on the span when 11,000 volt electrification
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
was extended south from Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
, to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Regular electrified passenger service across the bridge began on February 10, 1935.
Ownership of the bridge passed to Amtrak in 1976 when it acquired much of the Northeast Corridor infrastructure.
Present status
Approximately 100 Amtrak and MARCMARC Train
MARC , known prior to 1984 as Maryland Rail Commuter Service, is a regional rail system comprising three lines in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. MARC is administered by the Maryland Transit Administration , a Maryland Department of Transportation agency, and is operated under contract...
passenger trains cross the bridge on weekdays at a maximum speed of 90 miles per hour (144.8 km/h). Approximately 12 freight trains a day cross at a maximum speed of 30 miles per hour (48.3 km/h). Freight traffic, operated by Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
under a trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
agreement, is generally restricted to nighttime hours to avoid interference with passenger operations.
The only significant commercial water traffic under the bridge consists of barges from a large granite quarry just upstream of Havre de Grace. The bridge's swing span rarely needs to be opened; vessels which require such an opening must provide 24-hour advance notice.
In 2005 and 2007, Amtrak replaced the ties on the bridge, installed continuous welded rail, and installed new deck-level maintenance walkways. They believe these changes will extend the life of the bridge for another 20–25 years. In May 2011, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced $22 million in funding for engineering and environmental work to replace the bridge. The Bush River
Bush River (Maryland)
Bush River is a tidal estuary in Harford County, Maryland, located about 15 mi northeast of Baltimore. The estuary extends from the community of Riverside, south for about 9 mi , to the Chesapeake Bay...
and Gunpowder River
Gunpowder River
The Gunpowder River is a tidal inlet on the western side of Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, United States. It is formed by the joining of two freshwater rivers, Gunpowder Falls and Little Gunpowder Falls.-Gunpowder Falls:The Big Gunpowder, long, begins in the extreme southern part of Pennsylvania's...
bridges, two spans of similar age on the Northeast Corridor in Maryland, are also under consideration for replacement.