1831+1840s+1904,1994 Washington Crossing Bridge over Delaware River at Washington Crossing NJ and PA

If you are here because of "Rock Island's Roosevelt Road Intermodal Facility," then you need to go there.

(Bridge Hunter? (I can't find bridges in the new version); Historic Bridges; Satellite)

This 877' (267m) long bridge has six double-warren truss spans of 143' (43.6m). The width is notable because it is onely 14' (4.75m). Trucks are banned from using this bridge. [HistoricBridges]

lll

drjtbc
The piers are from the original construction in 1831. The cantilevered, wood-planked pedestrian walkway was added in 1926 on the downstream side.

Since the bridge is rather old, I wondered if it is pin-connected. This view clearly shows that it uses gusset plates for the truss member connections.

Street View, May 2015

Metrotrails posted two photos with the comment:

Metrotrails Then and Now Series: Historic postcard image of the Washington Crossing Bridge, from Washington Crossing State Park NJ, compared to the same scene on our 2023 hike.

The original bridge at this location was a covered structure built in 1834. It was washed away in a flood in 1841, and replaced by a second covered bridge.

That bridge was washed out in the Pumpkin Flood of 1903, so named because it happened in October, and pumpkins were floating all down the Delaware.

The current bridge was built in 1904 by the Taylorsville Delaware Bridge Company, a through truss design. It has withstood floods since, and occupies the original piers from the first covered bridge.

Many rear view mirrors are sacrificed on the bridge due to narrow clearance. There is plenty of room, but many are afraid to get too close to the edge.

The bridge is very popular during the annual reenactment of General George Washington's Christmas Day 1776 crossing of the Delaware.

Metrotrails shared

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Chris Manz commented on the above post
Ice at the Washington Crossing Bridge this weekend. [late Jan 2025]

This was the first street view I found. Fortunately, I found the better one that is at the top of these notces because I could not see gusset plats along the bottom cord in this view.

Street View, May 2015

"The bridge is currently restricted to a 15-mile per hour speed limit, a 3-ton weight limit, and a 10-foot vertical clearance.  It is the only Commission bridge outfitted with stop lights to control passage of oversized vehicles." [drjtbc]

Street View, Oct 2023