Lumberville-Raven Rock Bridge

Infobox_Bridge
bridge_name= Lumberville-Raven Rock Bridge


caption=
official_name=
carries= pedestrians
crosses= Delaware River
locale= Raven Rock, New Jersey and Lumberville, Pennsylvania
maint= Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission
design=
mainspan=
length= convert|688|ft|m|0
width=
load=
clearance=
traffic=
open= 1904
toll=
coordinates=

The Lumberville-Raven Rock Bridge is a free pedestrian bridge over the Delaware River. The bridge connects Bull's Island Recreation Area near Raven Rock, Delaware Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey to Lumberville, Solebury Township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The bridge, which is one of the two exclusively pedestrian bridges over the Delaware River, is owned and operated by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission.

History

The Lumberville-Raven Rock Bridge began its life as a wooden covered bridge. It was built between 1853 and 1856 by Solon Chapin, although the Pennsylvania and New Jersey legislatures had originally approved construction in 1835-1836. [Richman, p. 122] The bridge was thus spared the destruction that many other structures along the Delaware River met during the flood of 1841.

Construction of the first bridge began in 1853 and was overseen by the Lumberville Delaware River Bridge Company. Its four spans across the Delaware River and one span over the Delaware Division Canal on the Pennsylvania side gave the bridge a total length of about 705 feet. [Richman, p. 122] The first span over the river was washed away by the flood of October 10, 1903, one of the greatest Delaware River floods in history. Shortly thereafter, a steel truss bridge was built to replace the old covered bridge. The new structure, however, was eventually deemed unsafe. [Richman, p. 122]

In February 1944, The Lumberville-Raven Rock Bridge was closed. In 1947, the superstructure was rebuilt by John A. Roebling's Sons Company on the original 1856 masonry substructure as a five-span suspension bridge. [Richman, p. 123] [cite web | url=http://www.drjtbc.org/default.aspx?pageid=83 | date=2005 | title=Lumberville-Raven Rock Toll Supported Pedestrian Bridge | publisher=Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission | accessdate=2007-09-22] At this point, it was decided that the new bridge would be for pedestrian use only, as there was no need for a bridge carrying vehicular traffic. [Richman, p. 123]

A major rehabilitation contract was completed in 1993. The project included building a new deck and sidewalks, repainting, and replacing lighting. [cite web | url=http://www.drjtbc.org/default.aspx?pageid=83 | date=2005 | title=Lumberville-Raven Rock Toll Supported Pedestrian Bridge | publisher=Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission | accessdate=2007-09-22]

ee also

*List of crossings of the Delaware River

References

ources

*Richman, Steven M. (2003). "The Bridges of New Jersey", New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press. Pages 122-123. ISBN 0-8135-3510-7.

Crossings navbox
structure = Crossings
place = Delaware River
bridge = Lumberville-Raven Rock Bridge
(pedestrian)
bridge signs =
upstream = Uhlerstown-Frenchtown Bridge
upstream signs =
downstream = Centre Bridge-Stockton Bridge
downstream signs =PA 263