Betsy Ross Bridge

Infobox_Bridge
bridge_name= Betsy Ross Bridge


caption= The Betsy Ross Bridge from Pennsauken, NJ
official_name= Betsy Ross Bridge
also_known_as=
carries= 6 lanes of NJ 90
crosses= Delaware River
locale= Philadelphia (Bridesburg), Pennsylvania and Pennsauken Township, New Jersey
maint= Delaware River Port Authority of Pennsylvania and New Jersey
id= 4500011
design= Steel Continuous truss bridge
mainspan= 729 feet (222 meters)
length= 8,485 feet (2,586 meters)
width= 105 feet, 4 inches (32 meters)
clearance= 37.66 feet (11.48 meters)
below= 135 feet (41.1 meters)
traffic= 39,980 (2000)
open= April 30, 1976
closed=
toll= $4.00 (westbound) (E-ZPass)
map_cue=
map_

map_text=
map_width=
lat= 39.98595
long= -75.06676The Betsy Ross Bridge is a continuous truss bridge spanning the Delaware River from Philadelphia to Pennsauken, New Jersey. It was originally planned as the Delair Bridge, after a paralleling vertical lift bridge owned by Pennsylvania Railroad (now used by Conrail and NJ Transit's Atlantic City Line), but was instead named for Betsy Ross, reputed creator of the first American flag, making it only the second bridge in the United States to be named after a woman (after Iowa's Kate Shelley High Bridge in 1912 [http://www.arema.org/eseries/scriptcontent/custom/e_arema/library/2003_Conference_Proceedings/0048.pdf] ). [ [http://www.drpa.org/drpa/drpa_history.html DRPA history] , accessed October 6, 2007.]

History

Construction began in 1969. However, the bridge did not open to traffic until 1976 due to numerous problems with the communities where the bridge's ramps were located. The problems were likely related to the route's planned extension across northern Philadelphia to the Roosevelt Expressway. This cancellation of the planned PA 90 resulted in so-called "Evel Knievel" ghost ramps – unfinished bridges and fly-over ramps that were later rebuilt to serve Aramingo Avenue in the city's Port Richmond section. Currently, the route serves as a high-level multi-lane (six lanes, separated by a zipper barrier) bypass of the three-lane Tacony-Palmyra Bridge, which has a drawbridge on the span.

Construction in 1988 connected the bridge to New Jersey Route 90, allowing drivers to use NJ 90 to access Route 73, rather than via U.S. Route 130. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DEED9133FF936A35755C0A96E948260 "Delays Likely on Palisades Parkway"] , "The New York Times", June 5, 1988. Accessed October 12, 2007. "In South Jersey, there will be partial lane closings this month on Route 73, between Route 130 in Pennsauken and High Street in Maple Shade, for work on Route 90. The latter will connect the Betsy Ross Bridge across the Delaware River to Route 73 in Burlington County this fall. Bridge traffic must now go north on Route 130 in Camden County to reach Route 73 before continuing east."]

The bridge has a total length of 8,485 feet (2,586 meters), and a main span of 729 feet (222 meters). Though originally constructed with eight lanes, the bridge was reduced to six lanes with two shoulders in 2000. The bridge is owned and operated by the Delaware River Port Authority.

When approaching the exits from I-95 in Philadelphia for this bridge, drivers see signs referring to NJ route 90. Beyond the toll plaza, which is on the NJ side, NJ 90 continues as an expressway with maximum speed limit of 50 MPH, and in a few miles ends with a merge onto southbound NJ 73.

Tolls

A $4.00 one-way toll is charged entering Pennsylvania for passenger vehicles (less than 7,000 lbs gross vehicle weight). A $12 credit will be given on a per tag basis for any DRPA-issued E-ZPass tag that crosses one of the four DRPA bridges 18 times in a calendar month. Trucks, Commercial vehicles, mobile homes and recreation vehicles (weighing at least 7,000 lbs. gross vehicle weight), pay $7 cash per axle. Seniors aged 65 and over can use a ticket program to pay $2.00 per trip (not integrated with E-ZPass)

ee also

*List of crossings of the Delaware River

External links

* [http://www.drpa.org/drpa/drpa_bridges_br.html Delaware River Port Authority: Betsy Ross Bridge]
* [http://www.phillyroads.com/crossings/betsy-ross Betsy Ross Bridge historic overview (phillyroads.com)]
*

References

Crossings navbox
structure = Crossings
place = Delaware River
bridge = Betsy Ross Bridge
bridge signs =
upstream = Tacony-Palmyra Bridge
upstream signs =
downstream = Delair Bridge
downstream signs= "Conrail"
"NJ Transit"