Lackawanna Railroad Viaduct

Railroad Bridge

The Lackawanna Railroad Viaduct near Portland, PA is a historic bridge that was part of the Bangor and Portland Railway, a branch of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (DL&W). The bridge was built in 1870 to connect the slate quarries in Bangor, PA with the DL&W mainline at Portland, PA. The bridge crosses the Delaware River and is located about two miles south of the Delaware Water Gap. It is similar in design to the larger Delaware River Viaduct and the Tunkhannock Viaduct, which are also concrete arch bridges built by the DL&W on the Lackawanna Cut-Off rail line.

The bridge is 1,452 feet long and 65 ft high from water level to the top of the rail. It is composed of five 150 ft spans and two 120 ft spans. It was considered the largest reinforced concrete structure in the world when it was completed in 1910. In September 2020, Amtrak proposed the restoration of rail service between Scranton and New York City at some point before 2035. The restoration of service along the Lackawanna Railroad’s previous route would require substantial repairs to the bridge as well as the reconstruction of the Lackawanna Cut-Off.

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Lackawanna Railroad Viaduct

Railroad Bridge

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