MOUNT JEWETT, Pa. — A dedication ceremony is scheduled next week for the new Kinzua Bridge State Park visitor center and park office.

State conservation department officials say the ceremony will be held Sept. 15 at the park in McKean County.

The 301-foot tall structure near Mount Jewett was once the tallest and largest railroad bridge in the world, until a tornado ripped 11 of its 20 support towers from their bases on July 21, 2003.

A glass-bottomed deck and walkway have since been built atop six of the remaining support towers.

The 2,053-foot long viaduct was first built of iron in 1882, rebuilt of steel in 1900 for bigger trains, and used by freight trains until 1959. It utilized a series of arches carrying the railroad over the wide valley.