By 1955, nearly eight million vehicles were crossing the bridge each year, nearly twice the original projection. The bridge quickly proved a popular travel route when the New Jersey Turnpike connection was completed at its north end. Driscoll, dedicated the bridge to each state's war dead from World War II. Carvel, and the Governor of New Jersey, Alfred E. 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 project cost $44 million, and it took two years to complete the 175 feet (53 m) high span with towers reaching 440 feet (134 m) above water level. Congress approved the bridge project on July 13, 1946, and its construction began on February 1, 1949. Originally, a two-lane highway tunnel was considered, but the costs for a four-lane bridge was found to be equivalent in price, therefore being the reason a four-lane bridge was chosen. If the bridge were to collapse into the river, it could render the Philadelphia Navy Yard unusable.Īs traffic by cars and truck increased rapidly, the benefits of a bridge in this area became evident, and its construction was authorized by the highway departments of Delaware and New Jersey in 1945. Coast Guard were also concerned that the bridge would be vulnerable to an enemy attack. Advocates of a bridge crossing between Delaware and New Jersey faced strong opposition from the Philadelphia Port Authorities, which claimed that the bridge would be a menace to navigation. As commercial pressures mounted, a ferry service began, as an interim measure, to run in 1926, near the bridge's current location. The Cape May–Lewes Ferry provides an alternate route between travelers from New Jersey and the Northeastern states to southern Delaware.įollowing the opening of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge in Philadelphia, residents of Delaware and New Jersey began to advocate a crossing of the river in the area of Wilmington, Delaware. However, at Fort Mott, New Jersey, there is a small amount of land on the New Jersey side of the river that is part of the State of Delaware, and thus there are pedestrian crossings in between those states, but not spanning the river. It is also the only fixed vehicular crossing between Delaware and New Jersey. The Delaware Memorial Bridge is the southernmost and the largest fixed vehicular crossing of the Delaware River. The toll facility is operated by the Delaware River and Bay Authority. On the Delaware side of the bridge is a War Memorial, visible from the northbound-side lanes. The bridges are dedicated to those from both New Jersey and Delaware who died in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Persian Gulf War. Route 130 in Pennsville Township, New Jersey (at the settlement of Deepwater, New Jersey). Route 13, and Route 9 in New Castle, Delaware with U.S. While not a part of Interstate 95, they connect two parts of the highway: the Delaware Turnpike ( Interstate 95 in Delaware) on the south side with the New Jersey Turnpike (later Interstate 95 in New Jersey) on the north side. The bridges provide a regional connection for long-distance travelers. Highway and Interstate Highway designations, the other being the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. It is also one of only two crossings of the Delaware River with both U.S. The bridge was designed by the firm known today as HNTB with consulting help from engineer Othmar Ammann, whose other designs include the Walt Whitman Bridge (which is similar in appearance to each of the Delaware Memorial Bridge spans, except for being a single span with more lanes) and the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. Route 40 and is also the link between Delaware and New Jersey. The toll bridges carry Interstate 295 and U.S. The Delaware Memorial Bridge is a dual-span suspension bridge crossing the Delaware River. Delaware Memorial Bridge, approaching eastbound from the Delaware side, 2005.
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