The Safe Harbor Bridge also known as the Safe Harbor Trestle, Port Road Bridge and the Enola Low Grade Line (A&S Railroad) Steel Trestle is a steel deck truss trestle that spans the Conestoga River at Safe Harbor, Pennsylvania near the Susquehanna River for the Port Road Branch and the former Columbia and Port Deposit Railroad along the Susquehanna River.

Safe Harbor Bridge
Coordinates39°55′31″N 76°23′03″W / 39.92528°N 76.38417°W / 39.92528; -76.38417
CarriesRail
CrossesConestoga River
LocaleConestoga Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
OwnerNorfolk Southern Railway
Characteristics
DesignLower: Deck girder.
Upper: Pratt truss.
MaterialSteel
Total lengthLower: 295 feet (90 m).
Upper: 300 feet (91 m).
Height55 feet (17 m); 92 feet (28 m) (between lower & upper bridge)
History
DesignerWilliam H. Brown (PRR)
Constructed byH.S. Kerbaugh, Inc.
Fabrication byPennsylvania Steel Company
Construction end1905
Opened1906
Rebuilt1930
Location
Map

History and notable features

edit

This bridge was built in 1905 for the Atglen and Susquehanna Branch (A&S), also known as the "Low Grade Branch", of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR).[1]

There is one more bridge at this site, the Safe Harbor Dam access road bridge. The lower span was raised 4 feet (1.2 m) in 1930, concurrent with the construction of the Safe Harbor Dam. In 1976 the PRR lines became part of Conrail, which abandoned the A&S branch in 1989. The tracks were removed from the upper bridge in 1990.[1] The upper portion has been repurposed to serve as part of the Enola Low Grade Trail.

See also

edit

References

edit
edit