Current Portage Bridge
Immediately after the Portage Bridge fire, officials of the Erie Railroad Company moved quickly to replace the wooden bridge with an iron and steel design. Construction began June 8, 1875 and opened for traffic July 31, 1875. The bridge is 820 feet (250 m) long and 240 feet (73 m) high. It is still in use today.
Popular local rumor contends that the Portage Bridge was used for a famous scene in the 1986 movie Stand By Me. In reality, the bridge used in the movie is the Lake Britton Bridge in McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park near Redding, California.
On November 29, 2011, Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) announced plans to demolish the Portage River bridge and build a new one away from Letchworth Park. NS had offered the bridge to the State of New York, but the State declined it.
Read more about this topic: Letchworth State Park
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