LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
An important link in the Lincoln Highway is examined in an article in the PhillyBurbs.com that also includes this vintage photo (note the Lincoln Highway sign at left).
The first bridge across the Delaware River between Trenton NJ and Morrisville PA opened 150 years ago on July 1, 1861. When the wooden “City Bridge” burned, an iron bridge was built in 60 days by 83 workmen. It opened October 20, 1884, as the Calhoun Street Toll-Supported Bridge but was made toll-free on Nov. 14, 1928. It is now run by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, which was formed in 1934 and operates seven toll bridges and 13 toll-supported bridges. A $7.2 million rehabilitation project in 2010 included improvements to the rails and sidewalks, new lighting, blast cleaning, and painting. A vintage iron marker noting the Lincoln Highway state border crossing remains on its downstream side near the Pennsylvania abutment.
Tags: Delaware River crossing, highway history, historic highway, iron bridge, Lincoln Highway, Morrsiville PA, NJ, old bridge, PA, Pennsylvania, Trenton NJ
Lincoln Highway News 
July 15, 2011 at 7:01 pm |
From a distance this is just a pretty old truss bridge, but up close it may be one-of-a-kind.
The main elements of the truss (vertical and end posts, and horizontal chords) are hollow wrought iron “Phoenix Columns” (Phoenix is the bridge company). Each column has a circular cross section and consists of 4 or 6 curved plates riveted together. This is visible in the diagonal end post at the right side of the photo. More info at the bridge commission’s web site
http://www.drjtbc.org.