Tacony–Palmyra Bridge

Tacony-Palmyra Bridge

Bridge as seen from the New Jersey shoreline
Coordinates 40°00′47″N 75°02′36″W / 40.01299°N 75.04335°W / 40.01299; -75.04335Coordinates: 40°00′47″N 75°02′36″W / 40.01299°N 75.04335°W / 40.01299; -75.04335
Carries 3 lanes of PA 73 and Route 73, and 2 sidewalks
Crosses Delaware River
Locale Philadelphia (Tacony), Pennsylvania and Palmyra, New Jersey
Official name Tacony-Palmyra Bridge
Maintained by Burlington County Bridge Commission
ID number 3000001 (NJ), 677301999100150 (PA)
Characteristics
Design Steel Arch bridge with bascule opening
Total length 3,569 feet (1115.3 meters)
Width 38 feet (11.6 meters)
Clearance above 14.5 feet (4.42 meters)
Clearance below Arch = 64 feet (19.5 meters)
Bascule = 55 feet (11.8 meters)
History
Opened August 14, 1929 (August 14, 1929)
Statistics
Daily traffic 50,000 (1999)
Toll $4.00 (westbound, cash), $3.00 (E-ZPass)[1]
View from the roadway of the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge, across the upper Delaware River from Palmyra, New Jersey to Tacony section of Philadelphia with drawbridge signs

The Tacony–Palmyra Bridge is a combination steel arch, double-leaf bascule bridge across the Delaware River, connecting New Jersey Route 73 in Palmyra, New Jersey and Pennsylvania Route 73 in the Tacony section of Philadelphia. Paralleling the "Betsy Ross Bridge" also across the upper Delaware River, the Tacony–Palmyra Bridge has a total length of 3,659 feet (1,115 m) and spans 2,324 feet (708 m). It was designed by Polish-born architect, Ralph Modjeski, (1861-1940). After one and a half years of construction, it opened in 1929 to replace the local river ferry service.[2] Though it opened originally as a four-lane bridge, the lanes were reduced in a 1996–97 1½-year bridge deck-replacement/renovation project to contain now three wider lanes (two toll lanes northwestward into the City of Philadelphia, and one free lane southeastward into the State of New Jersey). The bascule draw span is located immediately southeast of the main, arched span over the shipping/boating channel to allow passing maritime traffic. It is one of the few drawbridges to not have gates blocking traffic when the span is raised.

The Tacony-Palmyra Bridge from New Jersey

The Bridge is owned and maintained by the Burlington County Bridge Commission of New Jersey. The bridge has a $4 toll as of September 15, 2015, which is discounted to $3 if the toll is paid using the "E-ZPass" system.[1] Despite interruptions due to occasional openings for passing shipping traffic (the upper Delaware River is navigable as far north as Van Sciver Lake near Bristol, Pennsylvania), it serves as a lower-cost alternative to the six-lane, high-span Betsy Ross Bridge, of 1969-1974, further south paralleling the Tacony-Palmyra, which there charges $5 for the westward crossing.

A walkway on the Tacony–Palmyra Bridge is open to pedestrian and bicycle traffic, plus taking advantage of the river scenery.

On October 10, 2013, the drawbridge became stuck in the open position when a roller under the maintenance walkway seized, causing it to jam and the bridge to stop moving. The Tacony–Palmyra was closed for approximately eleven hours total.[3]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Toll Rates". Burlington Country Bridge Commission. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Tacony-Palmyra Bridge (PA 73-NJ 73)". Eastern Roads. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  3. ↑ Stamm, Dan (October 10, 2013). "Busy Bridge Gets Stuck Open for Hours". WCAU. NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Retrieved July 31, 2014.

External links

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