The 1908-feet long Salisbury Viaduct is a spectacular crossing of the Casselman River Valley. My husband Rick and I rode across it as part of our Cumberland-McKeesport ride on the Great Allegheny Passage Trail. It was one of the scenic highpoints on the ride. Of course Salisbury Viaduct wasn’t originally built to take cyclists and hikers across the valley. It was built in 1912 for the Western Maryland Rail Company. The construction of that rail line through mountainous Somerset County required numerous bridges, tunnels, and viaducts – nearly all of which you can ride your bicycle on or thru today. The construction of the viaduct took many years, a lot of men, and even cost a few lives. Remember that back in 1912 a lot of the work had to be done with mules, wagons & wheelbarrows. When the viaduct opened on January 18, 1912, hundreds of local families gathered to watch the first train cross. Newspaper reporters and photographers from all over Pennsylvania and Maryland were there too. Company officials and the spectators all cheered when the first train crossed. In 1975, the rail company abandoned much of its line and on May 21 of that year, a special passenger train operated over the viaduct giving company officials, railfans, and the general public one last ride over the line and the viaduct. Twenty three years in 1998, Salisbury Viaduct was renovated for trail use, with a special deck being added for cyclists, hikers, and equestrians. Today it provides an incredible view of the Casselman River Valley. It spans the river, old US #219, the modern four-lane US #219, and the CSX Rail Line, which Amtrak’s Capitol Limited train runs on(you can see the viaduct from the train). Rick and I stopped and enjoyed the terrific view when we crossed.
