| Walt Whitman Bridge | |
|---|---|
| Official name | Walt Whitman Bridge |
| Carries | 7 lanes[1] of I-76 |
| Crosses | Delaware River |
| Locale | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Gloucester City, New Jersey[1] |
| Maintained by | Delaware River Port Authority of Pennsylvania and New Jersey |
| ID number | 4500010 |
| Design | steel suspension bridge |
| Total length | 11,981 feet (3,652 m)[1] |
| Width | 92 feet 2 inches (28.09 m)[1] |
| Longest span | 610 metres (2,000 ft)[2] |
| Clearance below | 46.5 metres (153 ft)[2] |
| Opened | May 16, 1957[1] |
| Toll | No toll for eastbound vehicles going from Pennsylvania to New Jersey. |
| Daily traffic | 120,000 |
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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 on the east coast of the United States. The bridge is owned and operated by the Delaware River Port Authority.
Construction on the bridge began in 1953,[1] and it opened to traffic on May 16, 1957.[1] The bridge has a total length of 11,981 feet (3,652 m),[1] and a main span of 610 metres (2,000 ft).[2] The bridge has seven lanes,[1] three in each direction and a center lane that is shifted variably (via a zipper barrier) to accommodate heavy traffic.[4]
The bridge is a part of Interstate 76 (at milepost 351.98) (which, between the river and the Pennsylvania Turnpike interchange in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, is known as the "Schuylkill Expressway"). Along with the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, Betsy Ross Bridge, Delaware Memorial Bridge, and Commodore Barry Bridge, the Walt Whitman Bridge is one of five expressway-standard bridges connecting the Philadelphia area with southern New Jersey.
The bridge was designed by noted civil engineer Othmar Ammann.[5]
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A $5.00 one-way toll is charged to westbound passenger vehicles (less than 7,000 lb (3,200 kg) gross vehicle weight) traveling from New Jersey to Pennsylvania.[3] A $12 credit used to 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, this was removed during the bridge reconstruction budget increase.[3] Trucks, commercial vehicles, mobile homes and recreation vehicles (weighing at least 7,000 lb (3,200 kg). gross vehicle weight) pay $6 per axle.[3] Seniors aged 65 and over can use a ticket program to pay $2.00 per trip (not integrated with E-ZPass).[3]
There is no toll for eastbound vehicles traveling from Pennsylvania to New Jersey.
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