Canton Viaduct

Canton Viaduct is the oldest blind arcade cavity wall viaduct in the world and it was the longest and tallest railroad viaduct ever built when it was completed in 1835. It is the last surviving viaduct of its kind and has been in continuous service for 177 years; it now carries high-speed passenger and freight rail service. This hollow viaduct in Canton, Massachusetts (USA) was built in 1834-35 for the Boston and Providence Railroad Corporation (B&P). The viaduct is 0.3 miles (0.5 km) south of Canton Junction and originally provided mainline service between Boston, Massachusetts, and Providence, Rhode Island. It was the final link to be built on the 41-mile railroad between the two cities. The viaduct is located on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor at milepost 213.74, reckoned from Pennsylvania Station in New York City, and at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's (MBTA) milepost 15.35, reckoned from South Station in Boston. The Canton Viaduct's walls are very similar to the ancient curtain wall of Rhodes (built about 400 BCE) with rusticated stone, supporting a train deck about 60 feet (18 m) above the Canton River, the east branch (tributary) of the Neponset River. The stream pool passes through six semi-circular portals in the viaduct, flowing to a waterfall about 50 feet downstream.