Washington Crossing Bridge
| Washington Crossing Bridge | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Coordinates | 40°17′43″N 74°52′5″W / 40.29528°N 74.86806°WCoordinates: 40°17′43″N 74°52′5″W / 40.29528°N 74.86806°W |
| Carries | 2 lanes of  PA 532/ CR 546
|
| Crosses | Delaware River |
| Locale | Washington Crossing section of Hopewell Township, New Jersey and Washington Crossing section of Upper Makefield Township, Pennsylvania |
| Official name | Washington Crossing Toll Supported Bridge |
| Maintained by | Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Truss bridge |
| Total length | 877 feet (267 m) |
| Width | 15 feet (5 m) |
| Longest span | 143 feet (44 m) |
| Load limit | 3 tons |
| Clearance above | 8 feet (2 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | 1904 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 6,500 |
| Toll | None |
Washington Crossing Bridge (officially referred to as Washington Crossing Toll Supported Bridge) is a truss bridge spanning the Delaware River that connects Washington Crossing, Hopewell Township in Mercer County, New Jersey with Washington Crossing, Upper Makefield Township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1904 by the Taylorsville Delaware Bridge Company. The bridge is currently owned and operated by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission.
On February 14, 1831, an act was passed by the New Jersey Legislature and concurred by the Pennsylvania General Assembly, creating the Taylorsville Delaware Bridge Company. By the act's provisions, a bridge was to be located at Taylor's Ferry, close to where George Washington crossed the Delaware River in 1776. This timber bridge was constructed beginning in 1831 and was completed in 1834. Its six spans gave it a total length of 875 feet. The first bridge remained in service until it was swept away by the flood of January 8, 1841. A replacement bridge was constructed shortly afterward and remained in service until it was carried away by the flood of October 10, 1903. In 1904, the bridge's current steel superstructure was built.
The DRJTBC bought the private toll bridge in 1922.
The flood of August 19, 1955, did considerable damage to Washington Crossing Bridge. Floating debris in the form of whole trees, steel barrels and even houses smashed against the bridge, resulting in damage to all six spans. More than half the bridge's bottom chords were bent or twisted beyond repair. These members were replaced with new fabricated steel members and the bridge was reopened to traffic on November 17, 1955.
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Wikipedia