Roadtrip, Day 23...Two Bridges, Both Closed

Monday, June 9, 2025

     I came to Tiona for one purpose, a state park.  At checkin yesterday, the motel's owner suggested starting the day with a different state park, as well as a waterfall first.  It certainly seemed doable.  

     The waterfall would have included another long drive down unpaved roads.  If they're like yesterday's roads, they'd probably be fine.  In the end, I decided to stick with the original plan.  Especially since storms were expected by early afternoon.

    With the room packed up, it was time to head out and try to squeeze a few things in.

     Kane is a few towns back.  It's the start of a sixty mile rail trail.  It's also a work in progress with detours and gaps.

     But, it all starts at the old train depot.

     

   The third of a mile point comes to this detour.  It follows the road to the right of this gate.

      The trestle up the grassy embankment is fenced off, but will be included in the trail.  You can see is visibly droop in a few paces.

    The trestle from below...

    Given my limited time frame, I only walked a half hour up before turning back.

     Seen in downtown Kane... been a while...

     Kinda surprised highways are still numbered 666.  

     Also in Kane sits this small stage and park...

     It's dedicated to Oliver Grover Cleveland Crawford.  After a tour in the Navy, he moved back to Kane, where most people just called him OG.

     He and a friend worked for a local insurance company and decided to start their own.  Crawford would spend the next fifty years as CEO of Erie Insurance.

    In my day, OG stands for Original Gangsta.  

    Which brings me to the real reason I came here.  Years ago, I saw a photo from Kinzua Bridge State Park.(pr; Kinzoo)  That was enough.

     Around 1,880, railroads were searching for s shortcut through the Allegheny Mountains.  

     Thomas Kane, President of the New York, Lake Erie and Western Railway had a plan.  

     The first Kinzua Viaduct was built of iron in 1882.  At the time, it was the longest and tallest in the world.

     While widely successful, larger locomotives and heavier trains made it outdated.  Eight years later, it was rebuild with steel.

     The viaduct served freight and passenger service until 1959, as well as day excursions for tourists who wanted to see the view.

     Four years after being deemed structurally unstable, the state bought it and did extensive repair work.

     Once again tourists could take a ride across.  Freight was still out of the question though.

     It was deemed unsafe and closed again in 2002.  A year later, a storm blew through the valley.  Crews working on the bridge sought shelter.  A tornado touched down and crossed paths with the bridge, destroying eleven of the supports.

    

     Pennsylvania reevaluate and decided to only reopen the remaining section.  

    It was  closed again last year.  Crews are hoping to reopen by fall.  And that rail trail, the other end will even be that platform.

    Even without being able to go out to the end, it's still pretty cool.  

    The line of storms was now due a little later, so I tacked on a very muddy 1.3 mile trail through the park.

     The forecasters were now expecting the line of storms around 2:30P.  I figured with a stop for lunch, I could just about make Philipsburgh before the rain.  So, I booked a room and started driving south.

     As I write this, it's 4:30P.  No rain.  Now it's coming around 9P.  Sigh.

     My home for the night was a pretty decent Best Travel Inn.