Rockville Bridge

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Rockville Bridge
Carries	3 rail lines for Norfolk Southern and Amtrak Keystone Corridor
Crosses	Susquehanna River
Maintained by	Norfolk Southern
Design	Stone arch bridge
Longest span	48 spans, each 21.34 meters (70 feet)
Total length	1,165 meters (3,830 feet)
Opening date	March 30, 1902

The Rockville Bridge is said to be the longest stone arch railroad viaduct in the world. Completed in 1902 by the Pennsylvania Railroad, it has forty-eight 70-foot spans, for a total length of 3,830 feet (1,165 m).

The bridge links Harrisburg, Pennsylvania with the west shore of the Susquehanna River.

The original bridge on the spot opened on September 1, 1849, when the PRR began operating over it. The Northern Central Railway built the Marysville Bridge to the north in 1858, and later moved to the expanded Rockville Bridge. The current bridge was built by Italian laborers, who were working for two contractors (Drake & Stratton), one on the east side of the Susquehanna River and one on the west.^[1] Currently, the Rockville Bridge has two active tracks; it had three until recently and four initially. Used by the Norfolk Southern and Amtrak. The bridge was list on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.^[2]

[edit] See also

• List of crossings of the Susquehanna River

[edit] References

1. ^ Harrisburg Area Riverboat Society (November 29, 2006). Bridges on the Susquehanna River. harrisburgriverboat.com. Retrieved on November 29, 2006.
2. ^ Rockville Bridge. archiplanet.org/ (2006). Retrieved on January 8, 2007.

• Cupper, Dan (2002). Rockville Bridge -- Rails Across The Susquehenna. Withers Publishing, Pennsylvania (USA). ISBN 1-881411-34-6. 

• Jackson, Donald C. (1984). Great American Bridges and Dams. John Wiley & Sons, New York (USA). ISBN 0-471-14385-5. 

[edit] External links

• Rockville Bridge (photos and information)
• Structurae bridge profile
• Rockville Bridge Photos (November 5, 2005)

Bridges of the Susquehanna River
Upstream Clarks Ferry Bridge	Rockville Bridge	Downstream George N. Wade Memorial Bridge