The Moodna Viaduct is a steel
Significance
The bridge was constructed between 1906 and 1909 by the
Erie Railroad as part of its
Graham Line freight bypass, and was opened for service in January 1909. The trestle spans the valley for 3,200 feet (975 m) and is 193 feet (59 m) high at its highest point, making it the second-highest and -longest railroad trestle east of the Mississippi River (after the 1889 Poughkeepsie Bridge of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, which is long and high). Apart from the valley below, the viaduct crosses two roads (Otterkill Rd. and Orrs Mills Rd.), the Moodna Creek, and the Erie Railroad's now-abandoned
Newburgh Branch. The open design of the trestle was used to reduce
wind resistance and is a major reason why the trestle is still in service today.
Current use
The
viaduct carries New Jersey Transit/Metro-North Port Jervis commuter line trains and
Norfolk Southern freight trains. The Metro-North Salisbury Mills–Cornwall station sits near the north end of the viaduct. In summer 2007,
timber replacement on the viaduct caused delays on the line due to slow orders placed on it, and required that service be halted during weekend days.
Repairs were made to several of the concrete piers in October 2009, but traffic remained uninterrupted.
The viaduct is a tourist attraction for the small town of Salisbury Mills. Three roads cross under the viaduct, the highest-traffic of them being Orange County Route 94. The viaduct creates a spectacular landscape when viewed from the corner of Orrs Mills Road and Jackson Avenue outside of town, frequently photographed during fall foliage season.
The Moodna Viaduct appears as a prominent feature in the 2007 film Michael Clayton
==Gallery==
See also
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List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in New York (state)
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List of Erie Railroad structures documented by the Historic American Engineering Record
External links
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. Video taken from a train crossing the viaduct.
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. Video taken August 2007 showing the span.
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. Drone footage of the Moodna Viaduct.
