Rating:
7 votes

CP - Tunkhannock Viaduct

Wyoming County, Pennsylvania

Photos 

Side view

Photo taken by Robert Drew

BH Photo #108764

Map 

Street Views 

Description 

After built, it was locally known as the 9th wonder of the world because of its size (Starrucca further north in Wayne County was referred to as the 8th)

It's height is 240' above the stream level--at the time it was publicized as "the highest concrete railroad bridge in the world."

Declared a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by ASCE in 1975

Facts 

Overview
Massive ten-span concrete arch bridge over Tunkhannock Creek on Canadian Pacific Railroad at Nicholson
Location
Wyoming County, Pennsylvania
Status
Open to traffic
History
Built 1912-15 for the Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad
Builders
- Flickwir & Bush, Inc.
- Fort Pitt Bridge Works of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Centering)
Railroads
- Canadian Pacific Railway (CP)
- Conrail (CR)
- Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad (DLW)
- Erie Lackawanna Railroad (EL)
- Norfolk Southern Railway (NS)
Design
Open-spandrel concrete arch
Dimensions
Length of largest span: 185.0 ft.
Total length: 2,375.0 ft. (0.4 mi.)
Recognition
Posted to the National Register of Historic Places on April 11, 1977
Also called
DL&W - Tunkhannock Viaduct
Nicholson Viaduct
Kingsley Bridge
Approximate latitude, longitude
+41.62708, -75.77608   (decimal degrees)
41°37'37" N, 75°46'34" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
18/435352/4608663 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Hop Bottom
Inventory numbers
NRHP 77001203 (National Register of Historic Places reference number)
BH 31850 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

Arch (12,880)
Bridgemapper.com (1,325)
Built 1915 (1,280)
Built during 1910s (10,241)
Canadian Pacific Railway (584)
Conrail (1,819)
Deck arch (12,096)
Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad (240)
Erie Lackawanna Railroad (456)
Flickwir & Bush, Inc. (1)
Fort Pitt Bridge Works (46)
HAER documented (1,138)
 Have street view (30,434)
Historic Civil Engineering Landmark (48)
NR-listed (3,027)
Norfolk Southern Railway (2,233)
Open (41,451)
Open-spandrel arch (826)
Owned by railroad (14,143)
Pennsylvania (6,789)
Span length 175-250 feet (2,125)
Tall Bridges (327)
Total length 1000-2500 feet (2,049)
Wyoming County, Pennsylvania (53)

Update Log 

  • January 18, 2023: New photo from Geoff Hubbs
  • December 27, 2021: New photos from Patrick Gurwell
  • December 23, 2021: New photos from Bruce Roberts
  • November 15, 2021: New photo from Geoff Hubbs
  • September 19, 2018: New Street View added by Jared
  • April 22, 2018: New photos from Josh Schmid
  • April 2, 2018: New photo from Josh Schmid
  • November 22, 2017: New photo from Dana and Kay Klein
  • October 6, 2017: Updated by Luke: Added builder
  • October 5, 2017: New photo from Dana and Kay Klein
  • July 11, 2017: New Street View added by Dana and Kay Klein
  • February 17, 2017: New photo from Dana and Kay Klein
  • October 16, 2016: New photo from Dave King
  • April 7, 2015: Photos imported by Dave King
  • January 28, 2013: New photos from David Kravetz
  • December 28, 2010: Updated by Jodi Christman: Added description
  • August 6, 2010: New photos from Jodi Christman
  • July 29, 2010: New Street View added by Jacob P. Bernard
  • July 23, 2010: New photos from Jacob P. Bernard
  • July 4, 2010: New photo from Jacob P. Bernard
  • April 11, 2010: New photos from Jacob P. Bernard
  • April 10, 2010: New Street View added by Jacob P. Bernard
  • November 23, 2008: New photos from James Baughn
  • February 26, 2007: Posted photos from Robert Drew

Related Bridges 

Sources 

Post a comment here

Comments 

CP - Tunkhannock Viaduct
Posted March 28, 2022, by Brandon Cooper

Either that or they decided to postcard a flood for whatever reason.

CP - Tunkhannock Viaduct
Posted March 28, 2022, by Paul Plassman

Somebody in the postcard world apparently let their imagination run away with them....

CP - Tunkhannock Viaduct
Posted May 9, 2019, by Geoff Hubbs (geoffrey [dot] hubbs [at] att [dot] net)

Yes Tunkhannock Viaduct is in Nicholson PA. There is an active Factoryville Tunnel on the NS line and here's a link to the abandoned tunnels http://www.undergroundminers.com/factoryvilletunnel.html

CP - Tunkhannock Viaduct
Posted May 8, 2019, by George Oakley (Georgeoakley49 [at] yahoo [dot] com)

I was on an abandoned rail site and the Nicholson Viaduct was mentioned.Is this the Nicholson Viaduct?

Tunkhannock Viaduct
Posted July 5, 2010, by Barry Lauver (bllauver [at] toad [dot] net)

If you have never visited this bridge, it is worth the trip. It is even bigger than you imagine. Its nearby cousin to the north is nearly as large. Also the nearby Starucca Viaduct is a beautiful bridge.

When I traveled in England I went to see Thomas Telford's Severn River Bridge at Ironbridge. I was not disappointed, nor was I disappointed with the Tunkhannock (sometimes called Nicholson) Viaduct.