Portage Viaduct

The Portage Viaduct (also known as the Portage Bridge, Portageville Viaduct, or Portageville Bridge) is an iron railroad bridge in Livingston County, New York, located within Letchworth State Park. It is the second bridge in its current location and is currently being replaced by a third bridge. The first bridge burned in 1875 and was replaced by the current iron bridge that same year. At 141 years old, the iron structure is posing risks leading to weight and speed restrictions that inhibit the productivity of the railroad.

The Erie Railroad Company built a wooden trestle bridge over the Genesee River just above the Upper Falls in the mid 1800s. Construction started on July 1, 1851, and the bridge opened on August 16, 1852. At the time, it was the longest and tallest wooden bridge in the world.

In the early morning hours of May 6, 1875, the great wooden railroad bridge was destroyed in a tremendous fire. The bridge was a total loss, leaving only the concrete bridge abutments.

Immediately after the Portage Bridge fire, officials of the Erie Railroad Company moved quickly to replace the wooden bridge with an iron and steel design. Construction began June 8, 1875 and the bridge opened for traffic July 31, 1875. The bridge is 820 feet (250 m) long and 240 feet (73 m) high. It is still in use today (As of January 2016^[update]). Despite the weight restriction, the 400-ton Nickel Plate 765 passed over the bridge with passenger coaches as part of a heritage excursion in August 2015.

Popular local rumor contends that the Portage Bridge was used for a famous scene in the 1986 movie Stand By Me. In reality, the bridge used in the movie is the Lake Britton Bridge in McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park near Redding, California.

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