Peacock's Lock Viaduct

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Peacock's Lock Viaduct
Peacock's Lock Viaduct.jpg
Peacock's Lock Viaduct in 1999.
Coordinates 40°24′36″N75°56′51″W / 40.41000°N 75.94750°W / 40.41000; -75.94750
Carries Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad
Crosses Schuylkill River
Locale Reading, Pennsylvania
Characteristics
Design Arch bridge
Material Stone
Longest span46 feet (14 m)
No. of spans9
History
Designer Philadelphia and Reading Railroad
Construction start1853
Opened1856
Location
Peacock's Lock Viaduct

Peacock's Lock Viaduct is a stone arch bridge over the Schuylkill River near Reading, Pennsylvania, constructed by the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad between 1853 and 1856. It is named for a nearby lock on the Schuylkill Canal. The bridge is notable for its pierced spandrels, or circular openings between the arch rings and the deck. While this feature is found on some European bridges, it is extremely rare, if not unique, in the United States. [1]

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References

  1. Spivey, Justin M. (April 2000). "Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, Peacock's Lock Viaduct" (PDF). Historic American Engineering Record. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. p. 2. Retrieved January 29, 2022.