Betsy Ross Bridge
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Betsy Ross Bridge | |
|---|---|
 The Betsy Ross Bridge from Pennsauken, NJ |
|
| Official name | Betsy Ross Bridge |
| Carries | 6 lanes of NJ 90 |
| Crosses | Delaware River |
| Locale | Philadelphia (Port Richmond), Pennsylvania and Pennsauken Township, New Jersey |
| Maintained by | Delaware River Port Authority of Pennsylvania and New Jersey |
| ID number | 4500011 |
| Design | Steel Continuous truss bridge |
| Longest span | 729 feet (222 meters) |
| Total length | 8,485 feet (2,586 meters) |
| Width | 105 feet, 4 inches (32 meters) |
| Vertical clearance | 37.66 feet (11.48 meters) |
| Clearance below | 135 feet (41.1 meters) |
| AADT | 39,980 (2000) |
| Opening date | April 30, 1976 |
| Toll | $3.00 (westbound) (E-ZPass) |
| Maps and aerial photos | |
The Betsy Ross Bridge is a continuous truss bridge spanning the Delaware River from Philadelphia to Pennsauken, New Jersey. It was originally planned as the Delair Bridge, after a paralleling vertical lift bridge owned by Pennsylvania Railroad (now used by Conrail and NJ Transit's Atlantic City Line), but was instead named for Betsy Ross, creator of the first American flag, making it only the second bridge in the United States to be named after a woman (after Iowa's Kate Shelley High Bridge in 1912[1]).[1]
Contents |
[edit] History
Construction began in 1969. However, the bridge did not open to traffic until 1976 due to numerous problems with the communities where the bridge's ramps were located. The problems were likely related to the route's planned extension across northern Philadelphia to the Roosevelt Expressway (resulting in so-called "Evel Knievel" ramps – unfinished bridges and fly-over ramps that were later rebuilt to serve Aramingo Avenue in the city's Port Richmond section). Currently, the route serves as a high-level multi-lane (six lanes, separated by a zipper barrier) bypass of the three-lane Tacony-Palmyra Bridge, which has a drawbridge on the span.
Construction in 1988 connected the bridge to New Jersey Route 90, allowing drivers to use NJ 90 to access Route 73, rather than via U.S. Route 130.[2]
The bridge has a total length of 8,485 feet (2,586 meters), and a main span of 729 feet (222 meters). Though originally constructed with eight lanes, the bridge was reduced to six lanes with two shoulders in 2000. The bridge is owned and operated by the Delaware River Port Authority.
When approaching the exits from I-95 in Philadelphia for this bridge, drivers see signs referring to NJ route 90. Beyond the toll plaza, which is on the NJ side, NJ 90 continues as an expressway with maximum speed limit of 50 MPH, and in a few miles ends with a merge onto southbound NJ 73.
[edit] Tolls
A $3.00 one-way toll is charged entering Pennsylvania for passenger vehicles (less than 7,000 lbs gross vehicle weight). An $18 credit will be given on a per tag basis for any DRPA-issued E-ZPass tag that crosses one of the four DRPA bridges 18 times in a calendar month. Trucks, Commercial vehicles, mobile homes and recreation vehicles (weighing at least 7,000 lbs. gross vehicle weight), pay $4.50 cash per axle. Seniors aged 65 and over can use a ticket program to pay $1.00 per trip (not integrated with E-ZPass).[3] The DRPA had initially proposed a $1 to $2 toll increase on the bridge in early 2008,[4] however it has pushed the toll hike back to at least mid-2008 due to its decision to use general funds to fund projects for the time being.[5]
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Delaware River Port Authority: Betsy Ross Bridge
- Betsy Ross Bridge historic overview (phillyroads.com)
- Betsy Ross Bridge in the Structurae database
[edit] References
- ^ DRPA history, accessed October 6, 2007.
- ^ "Delays Likely on Palisades Parkway", The New York Times, June 5, 1988. Accessed October 12, 2007. "In South Jersey, there will be partial lane closings this month on Route 73, between Route 130 in Pennsauken and High Street in Maple Shade, for work on Route 90. The latter will connect the Betsy Ross Bridge across the Delaware River to Route 73 in Burlington County this fall. Bridge traffic must now go north on Route 130 in Camden County to reach Route 73 before continuing east."
- ^ DRPA Bridge Fares, accessed December 11, 2006
- ^ Nussbaum, Paul (November 15, 2007). Toll hikes likely on DRPA spans early next year. The Philadelphia Inquirer.
- ^ Nussbaum, Paul (December 6, 2007). DRPA may delay toll hike. The Philadelphia Inquirer.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||
