Betsy Ross Bridge - Philadelphia, PA
N 39° 59.130 W 075° 04.050
18S E 494237 N 4426150
The Betsy Ross Bridge is a continuous truss bridge spanning the Delaware River from Philadelphia to Pennsauken, New Jersey.
Waymark Code: WM5R3E
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 02/05/2009
Views: 12
History
Construction of the Delair Bridge - which was renamed the Betsy Ross Bridge in 1973 (making it the first major bridge in the U.S. to be named after a woman) - was actually completed in 1974. However, the ramps between the bridge and the Delaware Expressway (I-95) had not yet been completed, and Bridesburg residents protested that the ramps directly from the bridge to Richmond Street - the only ramps completed on the Pennsylvania side of the bridge - would disrupt the area. These residents succeeded in getting the DRPA to close off the ramps until the I-95 interchange was completed.
Finally, on April 30, 1976, the DRPA opened the $103 million Betsy Ross Bridge to traffic. New ramps connected the span with I-95 opened at the western approach, and with US 130 at the eastern approach. For its two-year opening delay, the bridge even received the 1976 award from the Philadelphia-based "Procrastinators' Club of America."
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Important Particulars
Type of bridge: Steel truss
Construction started: June 12, 1969
Opened to traffic: April 30, 1976
Length of main span: 729 feet
Length of each side span: 364 feet, 6 inches
Length of main and side spans: 1,458 feet
Total length of bridge and approaches: 8,485 feet
Width of bridge: 105 feet
Width of roadway: 90 feet
Number of traffic lanes: 6 lanes
Highest point of structure above mean high water: 215 feet
Clearance at center above mean high water: 135 feet
Structural steel used in bridge and approaches: 29,326 tons
Foundation type: Piles
Cost of original structure: $103,000,000