Rockville Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Rockville Bridge, at the time of its completion in 1902, was, and still remains, the longest stone masonry arch
railroad viaduct
in the world. Constructed between 1900 - 1902 by the Pennsylvania Railroad
, it has forty-eight 70-foot spans, for a total length of 3,820 feet (1,164 m).
The bridge crosses the Susquehanna River
about 5 miles (8 km) north of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
. The eastern end is in Rockville
and the western end is just south of Marysville
.
The original bridge on the spot opened on September 1, 1849, when the PRR began operating over it. The Northern Central Railway
began to use it after abandoning their Marysville Bridge
. The current bridge was built by Italian
laborers, who worked for two contractors (Drake & Stratton), one on the east side of the Susquehanna River and one on the west. Local people from the Harrisburg area also worked on the bridge. For most of its life the bridge carried 4 main line tracks. They were reduced to three in the 1980s when the PRR Main Line was modernized across Pennsylvania. In the late 1990s an intermodal container
was blown off an intermodal
freight train and landed in the river prompting Norfolk Southern to reconfigure the track layout, terminating the wye track to Enola at the west end of the bridge. This reduced the number of main line tracks to two, but left a buffer zone on either side to prevent further containers ending up in the river, although high winds from the departing December 2010 North American blizzard
resulted in a similar outcome on December 27, 2010. Currently, the bridge is used by the Norfolk Southern Railway
and Amtrak
. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1975.
Arch
An arch is a structure that spans a space and supports a load. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture and their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.-Technical aspects:The...
railroad viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
in the world. Constructed between 1900 - 1902 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....
, it has forty-eight 70-foot spans, for a total length of 3,820 feet (1,164 m).
The bridge crosses 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...
about 5 miles (8 km) north of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
. The eastern end is in Rockville
Rockville, Pennsylvania
Rockville is an unincorporated community in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States, at latitude 40.336 and longitude -76.905. The elevation is 328 feet...
and the western end is just south of Marysville
Marysville, Pennsylvania
Marysville is a borough in Perry County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,425 in July 2008. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area....
.
The original bridge on the spot opened on September 1, 1849, when the PRR began operating over it. The Northern Central Railway
Northern Central Railway
The Northern Central Railway was a Class I Railroad connecting Baltimore, Maryland with Sunbury, Pennsylvania. Completed in 1858, the line came under the control of the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1861, when the PRR acquired a controlling interest in the Northern Central's stock to compete with the...
began to use it after abandoning their Marysville Bridge
Marysville Bridge
The Marysville Bridge was a railroad crossing of the Susquehanna River between Marysville, Pennsylvania and Dauphin, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1858 and demolished in 1903...
. The current bridge was built by Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
laborers, who worked for two contractors (Drake & Stratton), one on the east side of the Susquehanna River and one on the west. Local people from the Harrisburg area also worked on the bridge. For most of its life the bridge carried 4 main line tracks. They were reduced to three in the 1980s when the PRR Main Line was modernized across Pennsylvania. In the late 1990s an intermodal container
Intermodal container
An intermodal container is a standardized reusable steel box used for the safe, efficient and secure storage and movement of materials and products within a global containerized intermodal freight transport system...
was blown off an intermodal
Intermodal freight transport
Intermodal freight transport involves the transportation of freight in an intermodal container or vehicle, using multiple modes of transportation , without any handling of the freight itself when changing modes. The method reduces cargo handling, and so improves security, reduces damages and...
freight train and landed in the river prompting Norfolk Southern to reconfigure the track layout, terminating the wye track to Enola at the west end of the bridge. This reduced the number of main line tracks to two, but left a buffer zone on either side to prevent further containers ending up in the river, although high winds from the departing December 2010 North American blizzard
December 2010 North American blizzard
The December 2010 North American blizzard was a major nor'easter and historic blizzard affecting the United States from portions of northern Florida to Maine and portions of Canada on December 26–27, 2010. It was the first significant winter storm of the 2010-11 winter season and the fourth North...
resulted in a similar outcome on December 27, 2010. Currently, the bridge is used by the 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...
and 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...
. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1975.
External links
- Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. PA-524, "Pennsylvania Railroad, Rockville Bridge"
- Pennsylvania's Historical Architecture and Archaeology site photos: http://www.arch.state.pa.us/images/hires/H000519_02B.jpg http://www.arch.state.pa.us/images/hires/H000519_01B.jpg
- Rockville Bridge (photos and information)
- Rockville Bridge Photos (November 5, 2005)
- Stan's Railpix : Conrail Photo Gallery ( Rockville Bridge photos from Nov -1994 )
- The Rockville Bridge (Rockville Bridge Photos and Information)
