Lost Town Emerges From US Lake During Drought

A historic 206-year-old bridge and town that are usually submerged have reemerged from a Pennsylvania lake due to severe drought conditions in the region.
The Great Crossings Bridge, built in 1818 under President James Monroe, is normally about 50 feet underwater in the Youghiogheny River Lake in southwestern Somerset County. But low rainfall has caused the lake’s water levels to drop significantly, revealing the old stone bridge.
“Crazy to see the Great Crossing Bridge at the sunken town of Somerfield,” one Facebook user said, after a visit at the end of October. “Hundreds of people were onsite. You could clearly make out the sidewalks and the main street, the trees lining the street, and some of the foundations of the buildings.”
The bridge was once part of a historic national road, also known as Route 40, which connected the Potomac and Ohio Rivers. When the Youghiogheny River Lake was created in the 1940s, the bridge and the town of Somerfield were inundated.
But now, due to the ongoing regional drought, the bridge and parts of the surrounding town have resurfaced, attracting visitors from near and far to marvel at the rare sight.
“Pretty impressive to see and walk on,” another visitor said, while others noted that the bridge “is an amazing sight all because of the terrible drought situation in the area.”
Rainfall has been sparse in the region of late, with much of Somerset, Fayette and Westmoreland counties subject to “severe drought” conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Currently 9.4 million people in Pennsylvania reside in areas of drought, though September was only the 35th driest year since records began in 1895.
The historic bridge becomes visible when the lake level drops to 1,392 feet, and the full bridge deck is exposed at 1,384 feet, according to Andrew Byrne, public affairs specialist for the Army Corps of Engineers, which oversees the lake and dam, who spoke to TRIB Live.
While the low water levels have disrupted some local businesses that rely on the lake, they have also created a surge of visitors eager to see the rare emergence of the 200-year-old bridge. Images of visitors in the hundreds have surfaced on social media.
Forecasters are expecting some rain in the 10-day forecast for Somerset County, which could bring some much needed moisture to the area.
The water level is expected to start rising properly again in December, so those who want to see the 206-year-old bridge and remnants of Somerfield in person will have to visit soon.
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