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Engineering Feats
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Canal Above the River
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Considered by many to be an
engineering achievement equivalent to the Brooklyn Bridge,
this aqueduct is the oldest cable-suspension bridge in the
U.S. still standing with its original elements. |
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Completed in 1848 by John Roebling,
designer of the Brooklyn Bridge, the aqueduct had towpaths on
each side of the center trunk, which carried water.
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The trunk, 6 feet deep and 19 feet
wide, carried its own dead weight. Cables were only
required to carry the weight of the water inside the trunk.
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Located at the intersection of a
canal and a river, the aqueduct was constructed to carry coal
on barges in the canal over the river. Prior to the
aqueduct's construction, barges crossed the river at a
slackwater dam that created a wide, deep section in the river.
Construction of the aqueduct removed a major bottleneck of
barge traffic on the canal and timber rafts on the river. |
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The canal ceased operations in
1898. When first converted from an aqueduct to a highway
bridge, many motorists were afraid that the bridge lacked the
strength for vehicular traffic. However, the bridge,
which had previously carried 2,000 tons of water, was more
than strong enough to handle vehicles. |
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What was this modern engineering
marvel? |
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Roebling's
Delaware Aqueduct runs 535 feet (175 meters) from Minisink Ford, New
York to Lackawaxen, Pennsylvania. It is also known as the Delaware
Aqueduct or the Roebling Bridge. Not to be confused with the
Delaware Aqueduct that supplies potable water to the city of New York,
Roebling's suspension aqueduct carried barges on the Delaware & Hudson
Canal over the Hudson River.
After being
converted to a bridge in the early 1900's, it continued to serve
vehicular traffic until 1979. The bridge was restored by the
National Park Service in 1985 and is now part of the Upper Delaware
Scenic and Recreational River.
Fast Facts
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Completed: |
1848 |
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Construction Cost: |
$41,750 |
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Length: |
535 feet |
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Height: |
30 feet above the water |
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Cables: |
8.5 inch diameter containing 2,150 wires |
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Width of Trunk: |
19 feet |
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Depth of Trunk: |
6 feet |
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