Delaware Memorial Bridge - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Delaware Memorial Bridge is a set of twin suspension bridge

Suspension bridge

A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders. Outside Tibet and Bhutan, where the first examples of this type of bridge were built in the 15th century, this type of bridge dates from the early 19th century...

s crossing the Delaware River

Delaware River

The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...

. The toll bridge

Toll bridge

A toll bridge is a bridge over which traffic may pass upon payment of a toll, or fee.- History :The practice of collecting tolls on bridges probably harks back to the days of ferry crossings where people paid a fee to be ferried across stretches of water. As boats became impractical to carry large...

s carry Interstate 295

Interstate 295 (Delaware-New Jersey)

Interstate 295 in New Jersey and Delaware is an auxiliary Interstate Highway, designated as a bypass around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The route begins at a junction with Interstate 95 south of Wilmington, Delaware, and runs to another junction with I-95 north of Trenton, New Jersey...

and U.S. Route 40

U.S. Route 40

U.S. Route 40 is an east–west United States highway. As with most routes whose numbers end in a zero, U.S. 40 once traversed the entire United States. It is one of the original 1920s U.S. Highways, and its first termini were San Francisco, California, and Atlantic City, New Jersey...

between Delaware

Delaware

Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...

and New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

. The bridge was designed by the firm known today as HNTB

HNTB

HNTB Corporation is an architecture and engineering consulting firm headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri that has designed many bridges, roadways, airports and professional sports stadiums across the United States and around the world.The firm started in 1914 as Harrington, Howard & Ash...

with consulting help from famous engineer Othmar Ammann

Othmar Ammann

Othmar Hermann Ammann was a American structural engineer whose designs include the George Washington Bridge, Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, and Bayonne Bridge.-Biography:...

, whose other designs include the Walt Whitman Bridge

Walt Whitman Bridge

The Walt Whitman Bridge is a green-colored single-level suspension bridge spanning the Delaware River from Philadelphia to Gloucester City, New Jersey. Named after the poet Walt Whitman, who resided in nearby Camden toward the end of his life, the Walt Whitman Bridge is one of the larger bridges...

(which is similar in appearance, except for the additional travel lanes and shorter center span) and Verrazano-Narrows Bridge

Verrazano-Narrows Bridge

The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge is a double-decked suspension bridge that connects the boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York City at the Narrows, the reach connecting the relatively protected upper bay with the larger lower bay....

. It is also one of only two crossings of the Delaware River with both U.S. Highway and Interstate Highway designations, the other being the Benjamin Franklin Bridge

Benjamin Franklin Bridge

The Benjamin Franklin Bridge , originally named the Delaware River Bridge, is a suspension bridge across the Delaware River connecting Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Camden, New Jersey...

.

The bridges provide an important regional connection for long-distance travelers. While not a part of Interstate 95

Interstate 95

Interstate 95 is the main highway on the East Coast of the United States, running parallel to the Atlantic Ocean from Maine to Florida and serving some of the most populated urban areas in the country, including Boston, Providence, New Haven, New York City, Newark, Philadelphia, Baltimore,...

, they connect two parts of the highway: the Delaware Turnpike

Delaware Turnpike

The Delaware Turnpike, also known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway, is an tolled highway that lies entirely within the state of Delaware. Running in a general southwest to northeast direction, paralleling nearby U.S...

(Interstate 95 in Delaware

Interstate 95 in Delaware

In Delaware, Interstate 95 runs diagonally from the border with Maryland northeast to the border with Pennsylvania. Between the Maryland state line and exit 5, I-95 is also designated as the Delaware Turnpike and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway. Along with its auxiliaries, I-95 is the only...

) on the south side with the New Jersey Turnpike

New Jersey Turnpike

The New Jersey Turnpike is a toll road in New Jersey, maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. According to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, the Turnpike is the nation's sixth-busiest toll road and is among one of the most heavily traveled highways in the United...

(later Interstate 95 in New Jersey

Interstate 95 in New Jersey

Interstate 95 is a major Interstate Highway that traverses the full extent of the East Coast of the United States, from Florida to Maine...

) on the north side. They also connect Interstate 495

Interstate 495 (Delaware)

Interstate 495 in Delaware is a six-lane bypass of Interstate 95 around the city of Wilmington, Delaware. Built in the mid-1970s and opened as the "Wilmington Bypass", the highway became, between 1978 and 1982, the route of I-95 around Wilmington, while the original highway through the city,...

, U.S. Route 13

U.S. Route 13 in Delaware

U.S. Route 13 is the main north–south highway in the U.S. state of Delaware. It traverses the entire length of the state from the Maryland border in Delmar, Sussex County to the Pennsylvania border in Claymont, New Castle County. U.S. Route 13 connects many important cities and towns in...

, and Route 9

Delaware Route 9

Delaware Route 9 is a state highway that connects with Delaware Route 1 at the Dover Air Force Base to Interstate 95 in the City of Wilmington. Much like their U.S...

in New Castle, Delaware

New Castle, Delaware

New Castle is a city in New Castle County, Delaware, six miles south of Wilmington, situated on the Delaware River. In 1900, 3,380 people lived here; in 1910, 3,351...

with U.S. Route 130

U.S. Route 130

U.S. Route 130 is a north–south U.S. Highway completely within the state of New Jersey. It runs from Interstate 295 and US 40 at Deepwater in Pennsville Township, Salem County, where the road continues east as Route 49, north to US 1 in North Brunswick Township, Middlesex County, where...

in Pennsville Township, New Jersey

Pennsville Township, New Jersey

Pennsville Township is a Township in Salem County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the township population was 13,194. The township is named for William Penn....

(at the settlement of Deepwater, New Jersey

Deepwater, New Jersey

Deepwater is a community in Pennsville, in Salem County, New Jersey, lying at the east end of the Delaware Memorial Bridge. Deepwater is the location of the United States Postal Service area covering ZIP code 08023...

).

The bridges are dedicated to those from both New Jersey and Delaware who died in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. On the Delaware side of the bridge is a War Memorial, visible from the northbound side lanes. The toll facility is operated by the Delaware River and Bay Authority

Delaware River and Bay Authority

The Delaware River and Bay Authority or DRBA is a bi-state government agency of the U.S. states of New Jersey and Delaware established by interstate compact in 1961....

.

The Delaware Memorial Bridge is the southernmost fixed vehicular crossing of the Delaware River and the only fixed vehicular crossing between Delaware and New Jersey. However, at Fort Mott

Fort Mott (New Jersey)

Fort Mott was part of a three-fort defense system designed for the Delaware River during the postbellum modernization period following the American Civil War. The other two forts in the system were Fort Delaware on Pea Patch Island and Fort DuPont in Delaware City, Delaware...

there is a small amount of land on the New Jersey side of the river that is part of the state of Delaware, and therefore is a pedestrian crossing in between those states, but not over the river. The Cape May-Lewes Ferry

Cape May-Lewes Ferry

The Cape May – Lewes Ferry is a ferry system that traverses a 17-mile crossing of the Delaware Bay to connect Cape May, New Jersey with Lewes, Delaware. The ferry doubles as a section of U.S. Route 9.-The system:...

provides an alternate route between travelers from New Jersey and the Northeast to areas of Southern Delaware.

The first span

Following the opening of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge

Benjamin Franklin Bridge

The Benjamin Franklin Bridge , originally named the Delaware River Bridge, is a suspension bridge across the Delaware River connecting Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Camden, New Jersey...

in Philadelphia, residents of Delaware and New Jersey began to advocate a river crossing in the Wilmington area. As pressure mounted, a ferry service was initiated in 1926 as an interim measure, near the bridge's current location. Advocates of a Delaware-New Jersey crossing faced strong opposition from Philadelphia port authorities, who claimed the bridge would be a menace to navigation. The United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

also was concerned that the bridge would be vulnerable to attack and could render the Philadelphia Navy Yard useless if destroyed by an enemy.

As vehicular traffic rapidly increased, the benefits of the bridge became evident and construction was authorized by the highway departments of Delaware and New Jersey in 1945. Originally, a two-lane tunnel was considered, but the costs for a four-lane bridge were found to be equivalent; thus the bridge was the choice. The United States Congress

United States Congress

The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....

approved the project on July 13, 1946, and construction began on February 1, 1949.

The project cost $44 million and required two years to complete the 175 feet (53 m) high span with towers reaching 440 feet (134 m) above water level. The first span opened to traffic on August 16, 1951, and at the time was the sixth-longest main suspension span in the world. The governors of Delaware, Elbert N. Carvel

Elbert N. Carvel

Elbert Nostrand "Bert" Carvel was an American businessman and politician from Laurel, in Sussex County, Delaware...

and New Jersey

Governor of New Jersey

The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...

, Alfred E. Driscoll

Alfred E. Driscoll

Alfred Eastlack Driscoll was an American Republican Party politician, who served in the New Jersey Senate representing Camden County, who served as the 43rd Governor of New Jersey, and as president of Warner-Lambert .-Biography:He was born on October 25, 1902 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...

dedicated the bridge to each state's war dead of World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

.

The bridge quickly proved a popular travel route as the New Jersey Turnpike connection was completed at the north end. By 1955, nearly 8 million vehicles were crossing the bridge each year, almost double the original projection. By 1960, the bridge was attracting more than 15 million cars per year, increasing even more when linked with the newly constructed Delaware Turnpike

Delaware Turnpike

in November, 1963.

The second span

Construction of the second span began in mid-1964, 250 feet (76 m) north of the original span. At a cost of $77 million, the second span of the Delaware Memorial Bridge opened on September 12, 1968, and was dedicated to those soldiers from Delaware and New Jersey killed in the Korean War

Korean War

The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

and Vietnam War

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...

. The original span was closed down for fifteen months for refurbishment — the suspenders were replaced, the deck and median barrier were removed and replaced with a single deck to allow four undivided lanes of traffic. Finally, on December 29, 1969, all eight lanes of the Delaware Memorial Bridge Twin Span opened to traffic, making it the world's longest twin suspension bridge.

While similar in basic appearance, major differences can be seen between the original and second spans. The original span was constructed entirely of riveted steel plates, and has an open-grate shoulder access walk while the second span was constructed mostly of welded steel plates (with riveted joints in crucial areas) and has concrete access walks.

The original span carries New Jersey-bound traffic, while the newer span carries the Delaware-bound traffic. Cross-over lanes on each side of the bridge can allow for two-way traffic on one span if the other has to be closed for extensive periods.

From 1969 to today

The bridge had a close call with disaster when on July 9, 1969, the oil tanker Regent Liverpool struck the fender system protecting the tower piers. The bridge itself was spared damage, but the fender suffered approximately $1 million in damage.

The Delaware River and Bay Authority began a $13 million project in 2003 to resurface the bridge, refurbish the expansion joint

Expansion joint

An expansion joint or movement joint is an assembly designed to safely absorb the heat-induced expansion and contraction of various construction materials, to absorb vibration, to hold certain parts together, or to allow movement due to ground settlement or earthquakes...

s, upgrade the electrical system, and replace the elevators in the four towers. The work was completed in 2008.

Today, more than 50,000 vehicles cross the twin spans on their combined total of eight lanes daily.

On clear days, Philadelphia's skyline is visible in the distance on the left going to New Jersey and on the right leaving New Jersey. Wilmington, Delaware

Wilmington, Delaware

Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...

, only a few miles away from the bridge, is also visible. Other landmarks that can be seen from the bridge includes the cooling tower for PSEG

Public Service Electric and Gas Company

Public Service Enterprise Group , commonly known as PSEG, and originally known as the Public Service Corporation of New Jersey and then as the Public Service Electric and Gas Company, is a regulated, publicly owned gas and electric utility company in the state of New Jersey, United States. It is...

's Hope Creek Nuclear Generating Station

Hope Creek Nuclear Generating Station

Hope Creek Nuclear Generating Station is a thermal nuclear power plant located in Lower Alloways Creek Township, New Jersey, on the same site as the two-unit Salem Nuclear Power Plant. The plant is owned and operated by PSEG Nuclear LLC. It has one unit , a boiling water reactor manufactured by GE...

near Salem, New Jersey

Salem, New Jersey

Salem is a city in Salem County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the city population was 5,146. It is the county seat of Salem County, the most rural county in the state of New Jersey. The name Salem is related to the Hebrew word shalom, meaning "peace".The town and...

, the Valero oil refinery in Delaware City, Delaware

Delaware City, Delaware

Delaware City is a city in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The population was 1,695 at the 2010 census. It is a small port town on the eastern terminus of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and is the location of the ferry to Fort Delaware on Pea Patch Island.-Geography:Delaware City is...

, the Reedy Point Bridge

Reedy Point Bridge

The Reedy Point Bridge carries Delaware Route 9 across the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal in Delaware City, Delaware, USA. A two-lane cantilever bridge similar in appearance to the Platt Bridge in Southwest Philadelphia , the Reedy Point Bridge was built by the U.S...

, also in Delaware City, both the St. Georges

St. Georges Bridge (Delaware)

The St. Georges Bridge is a steel truss bridge with a tied arch span that carries U.S. Route 13 across the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal in St. Georges, Delaware. Built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and opened in 1942 as a high-level crossing, the bridge was the first four-lane, high-level...

and the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal Bridge

Chesapeake & Delaware Canal Bridge

The Chesapeake & Delaware Canal Bridge is a concrete and steel cable-stayed bridge that spans the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal near St. Georges, Delaware. The bridge is located near a tolled section of Delaware Route 1 that runs parallel to the St. Georges Bridge carrying U.S. Highway 13...

s in St. Georges, Delaware, and the Commodore Barry Bridge

Commodore Barry Bridge

The Commodore Barry Bridge is a cantilever bridge that spans the Delaware River from Chester, Pennsylvania to Bridgeport, in Logan Township, New Jersey, USA...

in Chester, Pennsylvania

Chester, Pennsylvania

Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a population of 33,972 at the 2010 census. Chester is situated on the Delaware River, between the cities of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware.- History :...

.

The largest single day of bridge traffic saw 72,249 private and commercial vehicles cross the bridge one-way on November 29, 1998. The largest single weekend for traffic totals saw 194,199 vehicles cross the bridge one-way, July 24–26, 1998.

Toll

$4.00 for passenger vehicles exiting New Jersey into Delaware. Toll plaza located on Delaware side before Delaware Route 9
Delaware Route 9
Delaware Route 9 is a state highway that connects with Delaware Route 1 at the Dover Air Force Base to Interstate 95 in the City of Wilmington. Much like their U.S...

(New Castle Ave.) exit.
No toll for traffic exiting Delaware into New Jersey, as one-way tolls were instituted in 1992.
E-ZPass
E-ZPass
E-ZPass is an electronic toll-collection system used on most tolled roads, bridges, and tunnels in the northeastern US, south to Virginia and West Virginia, and west to Illinois. Currently, there are 25 agencies spread across 14 states that make up the . All member agencies use the same technology,...

compatible.
Frequent Traveler discounts available
About $270,000 in tolls are collected daily

Prior to the introduction of E-ZPass, both tokens and frequent traveler tickets were used, with special, discounted ticket books for local residents. They were phased out upon the introduction of the new system, and the tokens are no longer valid.

War Memorial

Since opening in 1951, annual ceremonies are held at the bridge's War Memorial on Memorial Day

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...

and Veterans Day

Veterans Day

Veterans Day, formerly Armistice Day, is an annual United States holiday honoring military veterans. It is a federal holiday that is observed on November 11. It coincides with other holidays such as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day, which are celebrated in other parts of the world and also mark...

to honor the sacrifices of American war veterans. The memorial is located in New Castle, Delaware

New Castle, Delaware

New Castle is a city in New Castle County, Delaware, six miles south of Wilmington, situated on the Delaware River. In 1900, 3,380 people lived here; in 1910, 3,351...

and features a reflecting pool, a statue of a soldier, and a wall containing the names of 15,000 men and women from Delaware and New Jersey killed in World War II

World War II

, the Korean War

Korean War

, the Vietnam War

Vietnam War

, and the Gulf War

Gulf War

The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...

External links

DRBA – Delaware Memorial Bridge
phillyroads.com – Delaware Memorial Bridge (I-295 and US 40)
Delaware State Code Title 17, Chapter 3 Legal framework for Delaware Memorial Bridge
Delaware State Code Title 17, Chapter 18 Legal framework for Delaware River and Bay Authority
Delaware Memorial Bridge Advanced Traffic Management System