MOUNT JEWETT PA — Technology is in some ways a great equalizer — the thing that has helped humanity gain a certain amount of mastery over nature, but we are often reminded of the ultimate power the earth holds over us.
The Kinzua Bridge in northwestern Pennsylvania stands as both a testament to engineering skill and as a harsh admonition that we are seldom in the drivers seat when it comes to "dominion" over nature. When the bridge was first built in 1882, it was considered a technological marvel. It was called the eighth wonder of the world by some. It also held the record for being the world's tallest railroad bridge for two years.
"It was really cutting edge engineering technology for 1882," said Linda Devlin, executive director of the Allegheny Forest Visitor's Bureau
The bridge initially served as transport for natural resources like coal and lumber. It stood 300 feet high and spanned almost half a mile long. It was once rebuilt from iron to steel to accommodate heavier loads. It stayed in commercial use until 1959, and in 1963, it became reborn as a state park.
For many years there was a popular steam train excursion over the bridge.
"They would take the train from Marienville to the town of Kane and come over here," explains Holly Dzemyan, the park's environmental education specialist. "Stop here and let people off that were afraid to go across the bridge and then go across over there and turn around and come back over. It was used like that up until 2002."
2002 was the year that the bridge was permanently closed to all use after it was determined that the structure was at risk to high winds.
Dzemyan says that decision would prove to be prophetic in 2003 when a tornado touched down in the park.
"The tornado came down through this area here and hit the middle section of the bridge and blew the middle section over. Eleven of the 20 towers went down that day, so the wind is part of our history here now," said Dzemyan.
"They think it was about fifty seconds that it took it to come down," said Devlin.
The magnificent trestle was left a twisted mess on the ground — an almost casual path of destruction — but the beloved bridge was not down for the count.
The Kinzua Skywalk opened in 2011, and Devlin says it now welcomes over 200,000 visitors a year.
"It has proven to be everything we thought it was going to be. The culture trip in the UK named it one of the top 10 most scenic skywalks in the world. There have been a variety of documentaries made about it," said Devlin.
Now the bridge stands sentry to our tenuous relation to the planet — a lesson in both destruction and rebirth.
"The two words that everybody says are 'awesome' and 'wow' because they see a picture of it, but a picture doesn't really give the scale until they're out on there," said Devlin.
"You are going on a completely unique experience going out there," said Dzemyan.
If you'd like to learn more about Kinzua Bridge State Park, click here.