1861+1884 Calhoun Street Iron Bridge across Delaware River at Trenton, NJ

1861: (Bridge Hunter; Archived Bridge Hunter)

1884: (Bridge Hunter; Archived Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; Satellite)

Street View, Sep 2021

HAER PA-592-5
5. 3/4 view from west end of Calhoun Street Bridge. Looking southeast. - Lincoln Highway, Running from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, Fallsington, Bucks County, PA

HAER PA-592-3
Detail at west end of Calhoun Street Bridge. Looking northeast.

Bob Dover posted

The Calhoun Street Bridge crosses the Delaware between Bucks County, Pennsylvania and Trenton, New Jersey. The bridge is unusual in that most early bridges in heavily populated downtown areas eventually become too small for the increasing amount of traffic, and they get replaced with newer and less interesting highway bridges. The Calhoun Street Bridge is certainly early, having been constructed in 1884, making it the second oldest bridge remaining on the Delaware River. The only older bridge on the river is the Delaware Aqueduct, which is in a much less populated area.

Although preservation of historic bridges is a major movement protecting this bridge today, this has not always been the case during its long life, so it seems like a stroke of luck that the Calhoun Street Bridge escaped demolition and replacement in the name of progress. However, it did escape and, on top of its historical importance, it is quite charming. The bridge consists of seven wrought-iron through-trusses sitting on stone piers. The bridge is the oldest and longest bridge owned and operated by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, as well as the only one made of iron.

I have written a detailed description of a tour of bridges of the Upper Delaware River in Chapter 9 of my book, Bridgespotting Part 2: A Guide to Even More Bridges that Connect People, Places, and Times.

1861 Covered Bridge

BridgeHunter_1861

BuckBridges
"The covered bridge had seven spans with a total length of 1,274 feet, including an extension of the bridge over a canal. The original construction cost was $60,000."