If you’ve ever photographed trains at North East, Pa., chances are you’ve spent some time shooting at Bort Road, a country road just off Interstate 90 that crosses over the CSX tracks (ex-New York Central) on a narrow, ancient bridge.
It’s an odd arrangement because right after motorists cross over CSX tracks, they encounter a single-track Norfolk Southern line (ex-Nickel Plate) at grade.
On Sunday morning, I arrived at Bort Road to find that it has been closed. There is a small pile of new steel supports of some type located next to the CSX tracks.
It was not clear if this mean that the bridge is going to be replaced, if the closure is permanent or if some other type of road work will be done. For now, it means that you can photograph from the bridge without having to dodge passing traffic.
I hung around for a while and caught the hour late Amtrak No. 48, the eastbound Lake Shore Limited.
Not long after Amtrak 48 cleared, an eastbound CSX manifest freight came past on Track No. 2.
If the bridge carrying Bort Road over the tracks is replaced, chances are there will be fence on it and the open views down the tracks will no longer be available.
Article and Photographs by Craig Sanders
Tags: Bort Road, Bort Road closed, Bort Road North East Pa., CSX, CSX Water Level Route, Norfolk Southern, North East Pennsylvania, Railfanning in North East Pa.
akronrrclub.wordpress.com 
Leave a Reply