Benjamin Franklin Bridge

Benjamin Franklin Bridge

The Benjamin Franklin Bridge, originally named the Delaware River Bridge, is a suspension bridge across the Delaware River connecting Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Camden, New Jersey.

At its completion on July 1, 1926, its 533-metre span made it the world's longest suspension bridge span, a distinction it would hold until the opening of the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit in 1929.

The bridge is owned and operated by the Delaware River Port Authority.

The bridge's two stone anchoring houses each contain a "phantom railway station". The stations were built for a planned trolley line that was to run over the bridge. The two sides, it turns out, used different grades of track, and could not meet up in the center.

As it happened, the then-"Bridge Line" (the subway line that ran as far as the Broadway stop in Camden, NJ and was later incorporated into the PATCO line in 1969) served the cross-bridge traffic adequately, and the trolley line has never been finished, but the stations were, right down to tile decorations on the walls and floors.

The bridge currently carries highways I-676 and US 30. The bridge also carries the PATCO Speedline rail line via connecting tunnels on both sides of the bridge.

Pedestrian walkways run along both sides of the bridge, elevated over and separated from the vehicular lanes; of these, only one is open at a time.

Location

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
USA

Getting There

The Benjamin Franklin Bridge is a suspension bridge that spans the Delaware River, connecting Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Camden, New Jersey. It is accessible by public transportation.

To reach the bridge by public transit from Philadelphia, you can take the PATCO High-Speed Line from various stations, including 8th and Market Street or 15th and Locust Street. The line will take you to the Camden City Hall station, which is a short walk from the bridge's pedestrian walkway. Alternatively, you can take the RiverLink Ferry from Penn's Landing in Philadelphia to the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, which is a short walk from the bridge.

Nearby Airports

This is a list of primary airports in Pennsylvania that have scheduled passenger service on commercial airlines.