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All the United States New Jersey Columbia Paulinskill Viaduct
AO Edited

Paulinskill Viaduct

Once the world's largest reinforced concrete structure, this abandoned bridge now beckons urban explorers.

Columbia, New Jersey

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Amanda Fullman
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Paulinskill Viaduct   Doug Kerr/CC BY-SA 2.0
Paulinskill Viaduct   Doug Kerr/CC BY-SA 2.0
The viaduct in 1911.   Unknown/Public Domain
Paulinskill Viaduct   WallyFromColumbia/Public Domain
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  Antahny / Atlas Obscura User
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The Paulinskill Viaduct, which was completed in 1910, was once the world’s largest reinforced concrete structure. At a total length of 1,100 feet and with a clearance of 115 feet, the New Jersey structure still a worthy feat of engineering to behold, even though it has since lost its record-holding title.

Trains traveled atop the railway up until the late 20th century, then traffic gradually diminished as the years passed. The last train crossed the bridge in 1979. After the viaduct officially closed in 1982, the railroad tracks were ripped apart and the impressive piece of infrastructure was deemed abandoned.

Despite being officially closed, the bridge still receives its fair share of pedestrian traffic (even though those who do go are technically trespassing). The site caters to an assortment of urban explorers willing to risk the occasional trespassing ticket, like hikers, partiers, graffiti artists, and even the occasional bungee jumper. The viaduct's internal chambers, which were once used to inspect its structural integrity, became hidden galleries of street art.

For years, graffiti-covered many of the structure’s walls. Some visitors found the illegal artwork mesmerizing; others were repulsed by the profanity scattered throughout the images. However, as of December 2017, a large portion of the graffiti has been painted over.

Related Tags

Graffiti Infrastructure Bridges Abandoned Railroads

Know Before You Go

Exploring the viaduct is considered trespassing, and can be dangerous. In January of 2016, two women had to be rescued after one became trapped within the old railroad bridge because of an ankle injury. Police sometimes patrol the area, and parking nearby is illegal.

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abandonednj

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Kerry Wolfe, blobert, Michelle Cassidy, Antahny...

  • Kerry Wolfe
  • blobert
  • Michelle Cassidy
  • Antahny
  • dawg04

Published

December 18, 2017

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  • https://abandonedrelics.wordpress.com/2016/01/06/paulinskill-viaduct-heinesburg-trestle/
  • http://weirdnj.com/stories/paulinskill-viaduct/
Paulinskill Viaduct
Paulinskill Valley Trail
Columbia, New Jersey
United States
40.948025, -75.061339
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