The Clarks Ferry Bridge is a

plate girder bridge A plate girder bridge is a bridge supported by two or more plate girders. Overview In a plate girder bridge, the plate girders are typically I-beams made up from separate structural steel plates (rather than rolled as a single cross-section), w ...

that carries U.S. Routes 22 and

322 __NOTOC__ Year 322 ( CCCXXII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Probianus and Iulianus (or, less frequently, year 1075 ' ...

across the

Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the ...

near

Duncannon, Pennsylvania Duncannon is a borough in Perry County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,473 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. The center of population of Pennsylvania is located in D ...

, about 20 miles north of

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...

. It is a 4 lane expressway standard bridge. The bridge also provides safe passage for hikers, bikers, and pedestrians using the

Appalachian Trail The Appalachian Trail (also called the A.T.), is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian Tr ...

and

BicyclePA Route J In the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, BicyclePA bicycle routes are a series of bicycle routes created in the 2000s to cross the state on highways and rail trails. Routes BicyclePA Route A BicyclePA Route A runs from the West Virginia border sout ...

. It was completed in November 1986 replacing a 1925 concrete arch toll bridge.

History

The bridge's name is derived from John Clark, a Scottish settler who in 1788 operated a

ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...

across the river and the next year established a tavern on the West Shore to cater to riders. After John and his oldest son Daniel both passed away in 1800, youngest son Robert inherited and continued to successfully operate the ferry and tavern. It became such a large draw to travelers that the

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Maryl ...

decided by the mid 1820's that a permanent bridge should be established. An earliest

covered bridge A covered bridge is a timber-truss bridge with a roof, decking, and siding, which in most covered bridges create an almost complete enclosure. The purpose of the covering is to protect the wooden structural members from the weather. Uncovered woo ...

was at this site, built in 1828. The first Clark's Ferry Bridge was part of the

Main Line Mainline, ''Main line'', or ''Main Line'' may refer to: Transportation Railway * Main line (railway), the principal artery of a railway system * Main line railway preservation, the practice of operating preserved trains on an operational railw ...

Pennsylvania Canal built in 1828. Mules walked on a cantilevered walkway outside the structure and towed canal boats across the river. The dam below the bridge was known as Green's Dam and created a calm surface for the canal boats. The covered bridge that stood in this location was considered at the time to be the longest covered bridge in the world at 2088 feet. Following floods, fires, and large volume, it was replaced in 1925 with a two-lane concrete arch bridge. This bridge carried a toll until 1957, and was replaced with the current bridge in 1986.

Future

In 2022, the

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) oversees transportation issues in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The administrator of PennDOT is the Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation, currently Yassmin Gramian. Presently, Pe ...

announced an improvement project for the bridge, including rehabilitation of the concrete deck, addition of a concrete barrier (replacing the current center turning lane in place), and safety improvements to the adjacent interchange with U.S. Route 11 and

U.S. Route 15 U.S. Route 15 (US 15) is a -long United States highway, designated along South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. The route is signed north–south, from U.S. Route 17 Alternate in Walterboro, South Caro ...

. Construction is anticipated to start in 2026.

References

{{coord, 40.3997, -77.0091, region:US-PA_type:landmark, display=title

Ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...

Bridges over the Susquehanna River Bridges completed in 1986 Road bridges in Pennsylvania U.S. Route 22 U.S. Route 322 Former toll bridges in Pennsylvania Bridges of the United States Numbered Highway System 1986 establishments in Pennsylvania

History

Future

See also

References