The Thomas Viaduct that spans the Patapsco River between Relay and Elkridge is the oldest multiple arched masonry railroad bridge in the country, and was considered an engineering marvel when it was constructed.

Strangely, the viaduct is not even listed on Baltimore County's list of county landmarks.

Teri Rising, a historic preservation planner with the Baltimore County Office of Planning, said that is because "it has not been nominated by anyone."

Built in 1835 for $142,236, the viaduct span, now owned by CSX Transportation, was named after B&O Railroad President Philip E. Thomas.

When it was initially being built, critics referred to it as "Latrobe's Folly," after its designer, Benjamin H. Latrobe.

The critics felt the viaduct's massive size -- it was the largest bridge of its kind to ever be attempted in the United States -- and the unheard-of four-degree curvature of its track meant the bridge was destined to collapse under its own weight.

When it started carrying trains and was deemed a success, the railroad company lauded the viaduct as a triumph of engineering -- a reputation it has maintained.

The viaduct was deemed such a critical point in the transportation system between Baltimore and Washington during the Civil War that thousands of Union troops were stationed in the area to protect it.

Its sound construction survived both the flood of 1868 and Tropical Storm Agnes in 1972.

It has only undergone significant repairs once, in 1938.

In 1964, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic Landmark.

According to its nomination form for the register, it is "612 feet in length formed in eight semicircular arch spans varying in length from 58 feet 5 inches to 58 feet 10-1/2 inches."

It stands 59 feet above the river.

According to the form, "All main line traffic between Baltimore and the west passed over the Thomas Viaduct until about 1870, when the main line was rerouted along the Washington Branch."

The viaduct holds such a historic place in the annals of railroading, in fact, that the International Council on Monuments and Sites -- an advisory group to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization -- has named it a potential UNESCO World Heritage site.

Among the sites already so designated are the Statue of Liberty in New York harbor and Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

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