Benjamin Franklin Bridge - Philadelphia, PA/Camden, NJ
N 39° 57.135 W 075° 07.855
18S E 488817 N 4422465
The Benjamin Franklin Bridge (also known as the Ben Franklin Bridge), originally named the Delaware River Bridge, is a suspension bridge across the Delaware River connecting Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Camden, New Jersey.
Waymark Code: WM5QXN
Location: New Jersey, United States
Date Posted: 02/04/2009
Views: 30
This is a gorgeous attraction to be seen at night. Over the last decade or so I have witnessed many different lighting variations on the bridge. Some are static and some change color. I took the photos from the NJ side @ the Adventure Aquarium. The Aquarium sits to the south of the bridge and affords a spectacular view. There is an excellent geocache which features Benjamin Franklin as its theme. There are several stages, my favorite stage was found on this bridge and required the cacher to walk the pedestrian walkway to the apex of the bridge to collect the necessary information.
From Wikipedia: "At its completion on July 1, 1926, its 533-metre span made it the world's longest suspension bridge span, a distinction it would hold until the opening of the Ambassador Bridge in 1929." At the base of the NJ side of the bridge, off to the right, take the first turn you can make and then turn sharp right again and you will find a very tiny park with gargantuan tree. There is also a huge metal plaque which tells the story of the bridge. The tree was planted when the bridge opened and the president of the United States was there for the commemoration ceremonies. The tree is known as the "Coolidge Tree".
The chief engineer was Polish-born Ralph Modjeski, its design engineer was Leon Moisseiff, and the supervising architect was Paul Philippe Cret.
I also found an excellent website which accounts a very comprehensive history of the bridge. Here is a taste of what I found and hopefully it will bridge the gap of information I did not present so far.
"The anchorages on either side give the bridge an appearance of massiveness. Each of the granite anchorages to which the steel cables are attached covers three-quarters of an acre. The two anchorages, which together required 216,000 tons of masonry, rise 175 feet above the ground. Their "toeholds" sink into the earth 65 feet into the Philadelphia side, and 105 feet into the Camden side. On the western anchorage are carved the seals of the state of Pennsylvania and the city of Philadelphia, and on the eastern anchorage are carved the seals of the state of New Jersey and the city of Camden.
The entrances to the bridge also exhibited grandeur. Four bronze "winged victory" statues - two statues adorning the Philadelphia and Camden plaza portals - were erected." SOURCE