Lower Trenton Bridge
| Lower Trenton Bridge | |
|---|---|
The south side of the bridge
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| Coordinates | 40°12′38″N 74°46′06″W / 40.2105°N 74.7683°WCoordinates: 40°12′38″N 74°46′06″W / 40.2105°N 74.7683°W |
| Carries | 2 lanes of  US 1 Bus. 5 Ton Weight Limit |
| Crosses | Delaware River |
| Locale | Morrisville, Pennsylvania and Trenton, New Jersey |
| Official name | Lower Trenton Toll Supported Bridge |
| Other name(s) | Trenton Makes Bridge |
| Maintained by | Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission |
| Characteristics | |
| Total length | 1,022 feet |
| History | |
| Opened | January 30, 1806 (original span) 1928 (current bridge) (load_limit: 5 tons) |
| Statistics | |
| Toll | None |
The Lower Trenton Toll Supported Bridge, commonly called the Lower Free Bridge, Warren Street Bridge or Trenton Makes Bridge, is a two-lane through truss bridge over the Delaware River between Trenton, New Jersey and Morrisville, Pennsylvania, owned and operated by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission (DRJTBC). It is known as the Trenton Makes Bridge because of large lettering on the south side reading "TRENTON MAKES THE WORLD TAKES", installed in 1935. In addition to being an important bridge from Pennsylvania to New Jersey, it is a major landmark in the city of Trenton. It is signed as US 1 Business, though does not officially carry that route.
This bridge is the southernmost free road crossing of the Delaware; no toll is collected. All downstream road crossings are tolled.
The bridge was originally a toll bridge operated by the Trenton Delaware Bridge Company. It opened on January 30, 1806, and was the first bridge across the Delaware.
In 1835, the Camden and Amboy Rail Road bought the bridge and the competing Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad to end the rivalry and the attempts by the P&T to put tracks over the bridge. The extension over the bridge was built soon after, and it was later connected to the C&A. At the time, the Lower Trenton Bridge was the first railroad bridge in the United States to be used for interstate rail traffic. The bridge was rebuilt in 1875, 1876, 1892, and 1898 to keep up with the growing demands of rail traffic. A new alignment for the railroad was completed in 1903, crossing the river on the Morrisville-Trenton Railroad Bridge. At this point, roadway trusses dating to 1876 were left in place while railroad girders built in 1892 and 1898 were relocated to the Long Bridge in Washington, D.C.
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