Superstructure | Deep gorge High bridge Cantilever design |
T
his is majestic High Bridge, towering 280 feet over the Kentucky River Palisades, which was considered an engineering marvel when opened in 1877 as the first cantilever bridge in North America. At the time, also being the highest railroad bridge in the world, High Bridge became a popular tourist attraction and supported a small town complete with a post office. Trains still frequently use this bridge, and while I was there a long freight train rumbled across.
“In 1940, High Bridge had a population of about 250 people. Approximately 100 children attended a three-room school. There was no running water, and we had to get water from a large cistern.” - Clyde E. Major
