The Scariest Bridge in Pennsylvania Is Not for the Faint of Heart

Pennsylvania has many different bridges, some of them spanning large rivers using miles of steel and others crossing small creeks and built from wood. While older, covered bridges can induce fears in travelers, the scariest bridge in Pennsylvania is not one of them. Discover the most frightening bridge in the Keystone State and learn where it is located, what makes it so frightening, and more!

What Is the Scariest Bridge in Pennsylvania?

The scariest bridge in Pennsylvania is Emlenton Bridge, a structure that is well-known for being the highest bridge in the state. The bridge is alternatively called the Emlenton High Level Bridge.

The structure crosses the Allegheny River near Emlenton. The bridge traverses three different counties, including Venango County, Butler County, and Clarion County.

The structure has a total length of 1,668 feet and measures and stands 270 feet above the Allegheny River. This bridge has four lanes that carry Interstate 80 across the water, and they travel roughly northeast and southwest.

Now that we know a bit about the bridge, take a look at the factors that make it so frightening to cross.

What Makes Emlenton Bridge So Scary?

Two factors make the Emlenton Bridge the scariest bridge in Pennsylvania. They are the bridge’s height and structural design. More specifically, the bridge has a clearance of 270 feet. That means every time someone crosses the bridge, they can look and see several hundred feet down. This height is enough to scare anyone who is not particularly fond of heights.

Even people who do not mind the height may not like the structure of the bridge. Most bridges that pass hundreds of feet above the ground have some amount of protection along the sides. This bridge has two barriers on either side of the bridge, and a concrete barrier separating the lanes as they pass in different directions.

The somewhat low barriers are completely safe and give people a great view of the surrounding mountains and the river below. However, they’re only about four feet tall. So, while traveling across, it would not be unusual to feel scared by the view while traveling across the valley.

The bridge has been the site of many accidents, some stemming from the area’s adverse winter weather. This structure is scary to drive on for some people, and it’s also a place where people need to keep their wits about them.

Fortunately, the bridge is not all that long, just 1,668 feet. So, the journey across the structure is a fairly short one for most drivers.

About the Emlenton Bridge

The Emlenton Bridge is a steel truss bridge that measures 1,668 feet long. The structure carries four lanes of I-80 over the Allegheny River, a tributary of the Ohio River. Construction of this bridge started in 1966 as the Pennsylvania Department of Highways sought ways to connect I-80 throughout the state. The bridge opened two years later in 1968.

Emlenton Bridge still operates today, and it’s an architectural masterpiece that spans difficult terrain. The bridge’s construction took careful planning and coordination from all the stakeholders involved, from the architects and engineers down to the workers.

Despite this being the highest bridge in Pennsylvania, the Emlenton Bridge is far shorter than many others in the country. The highest bridge in the United States is the Royal Gorge Bridge, a structure with a clearance of 955 feet, over triple the height of the Emlenton Bridge.

Where Is the Scariest Bridge in Pennsylvania on a Map?

Emlenton Bridge crosses the Allegheny River southeast of its namesake town. Generally, the bridge is in the western region of Pennsylvania. More specifically, Emlenton Bridge is located in three different counties despite its short length.

The bridge flows through Clarion, Venango, and Butler counties. Finding the bridge on a map is quite simple since it carries I-80 over the water. However, this bridge is not in a highly populated region.

What Animals Live Near Emlenton Bridge?

The scariest bridge in Pennsylvania is in three different counties in western Pennsylvania. Many different animals live in the area around the bridge, both on land and in the water of the Allegheny River. Let’s start looking at the animals that live near Emlenton Bridge by considering listing some of the fish in the nearby river.

The fish in the Allegheny River include:

• Smallmouth bass
• Walleye
• Flathead catfish
• Northern pike
• Muskies
• Sauger
• Trout

Many other fish are found throughout the river’s run. The region is home to many mammals, birds, and reptiles, too. The following animals thrive in the counties around the bridge:

• White-tailed deer
• Eastern milk snake
• Northern cardinal
• Chipping sparrow
• Painted turtle
• Eastern red bat
• Least weasel
• Spring salamander

These are just some of the animals that inhabit this region. A host of other species survive in this part of the state as well.

All in all, the scariest bridge in Pennsylvania is not that frightening to people who are not afraid of heights. To them, the bridge would be nothing more than a nice view. That being said, the low barrier heights combined with the 270-foot clearance is enough to make this the scariest bridge in the state by our reckoning.