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At Duryea the Lehigh Valley's Mountain Cutoff crossed over the Lackawanna's branch. The cut-off bypassed the steep grade and circuitous route of the LV original main line through Wilkes-Barre. The two railroads crossed at a very shallow angle, so this unique bridge was designed to avoid the use of a very long span. Columns supported plate girders across the Lackawanna tracks and they, in turn, carried the short girders under the LV tracks. These matched the crossing angle of the tracks and were placed between the large cross members over the DL&W. While such an arrangement seems complex, it saved a lot of steel compared with a single long span. This was at a time when the cost of a bridge was largely dependent upon the amount of steel used. (Jim Boyd)

Photograph from Lackawanna Railroad Facilities In Color Volume 3: Scranton to Buffalo.

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