Bridge between Upper Mt. Bethel and Knowlton Twp burns

[Roadgeek Adam]

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/warren- ... ers_r.html

Apparently a railroad bridge between the two townships burned on the morning of the 8th. The article however, is very unspecific on where. It says Upper Mount Bethel and Knowlton Townships, but it also mentions its a stone bridge. The bridge that pops into my head is the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western structure off 46 (near Route 163 and the old Darlington's Bridge, the bridge that was replaced for this one). I don't remember it being stone, since its a steel truss (and an aging one for that matter, approaching the 1-0-0). Is there a bridge I am forgetting or was the article that bad on explaining which bridge?

[pumpers]

It doesn't say the bridge burned -- it says there was a fire on top of the stone bridge. My guess is some kids made a campfire on top of the old DLW cutoff bridge (made of concrete, but close enough) north of Columbia NJ (Portland PA). The ex DLW bridge down just south of Portland and the power plant is a metal truss bridge, so I doubt it is that. JS

[sullivan1985]

It doesn't say the bridge burned -- it says there was a fire on top of the stone bridge. My guess is some kids made a campfire on top of the old DLW cutoff bridge (made of concrete, but close enough) north of Columbia NJ (Portland PA). The ex DLW bridge down just south of Portland and the power plant is a metal truss bridge, so I doubt it is that. JS

The Portland Bridge still has ties that could very well have been set fire. Arson seems to be the new cool thing for kids to do out that way so it doesn't surprise me the least bit.

[Tri-State Tom]

Sure sounds like the Cut-Off arch bridge spanning the Delaware River - or - the much smaller nearby stone bridge that carries the Cut-Off ROW over Simpson St. on the NJ side.

Either way both bridges host a good deal of brush/dead trees that could be set afire.

[Roadgeek Adam]

the much smaller nearby stone bridge that carries the Cut-Off ROW over Simpson St. on the NJ side.

Definitely not that one, since Upper Mount Bethel Twp is in PA - But those are the only two around it and yet the Cut-Off Bridge is concrete. Someone in the area would need to check both bridges.

It also catches my attention that they specified both towns. The Lackawanna Cut-Off Bridge may not be in Upper Mt. Bethel, lemme check.

[wis bang]

The steel truss bridge that the power plant uses is in Mt Bethel and dead ends in Knowlton. I believe the cement bridge is not.

[sidoo]

I happened upon this thread while looking for the name of what I now know to be the Delaware and Lackawanna Western Rail Bridge, which I visited on July 21, 2012. It seems the article refers to the (relatively newer, more Northern) Cutoff bridge (which I did not visit.) The 2 bridges are within 3 or 4 miles of each other so they could both be considered to be between Upper Mount Bethel and Knowlton Township. The older DLW to the South does have spot fire damage but it would be hard even for an incompetent reporter to mistake it for a stone bridge, or any official to describe it as such. The supports are concrete, and the sleepers that comprise the deck are wood, but everything else is steel: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= ... 197eb6389f