| Paulinskill Viaduct | |
|---|---|
A section of the Paulinskill Viaduct |
|
| Crosses | Paulins Kill |
| Locale | Hainesburg, New Jersey |
| Maintained by | New Jersey Department of Transportation |
| Design | reinforced concrete arch |
| Total length | 1,100 feet (335 m) |
| Clearance below | 115 feet (35 m) |
| Opened | December 24, 1911 |
| Closed | Still extant (railroad tracks removed in 1984) |
The Paulinskill Viaduct, also known as the Hainesburg Viaduct, is a railroad bridge which crosses the Paulins Kill in Knowlton Township, New Jersey.
Built by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad and completed in 1910, it was the largest reinforced concrete structure in the world and served the Lackawanna Cutoff, which was opened on Christmas Eve, 1911. It was surpassed in size by another Lackawanna Railroad bridge, the Tunkhannock Viaduct, in 1915.
The railroad tracks were removed from the Lackawanna Cut-Off in 1984. New Jersey Transit is in the process of restoring Scranton/Hoboken commuter service along the Cut-Off, with the 7.3 mile (11.8 km) section from Lake Hopatcong, NJ to Andover, NJ currently under construction.
The Delaware River Viaduct, a sister bridge of similar design but smaller dimension (further west on the Lackawanna Cut-Off), crosses over Interstate 80 on the New Jersey side of the river just south of the Delaware Water Gap at the New Jersey/Pennsylvania border. Amongst non-railfans, the Paulinskill Viaduct is known for its internal chambers (used to inspect the structural integrity of the bridge), which are popular among those who enjoy urban exploration.