The South Market Street Bridge, officially the Senator John E. Reilly, Sr. Bridge, is a
bascule bridge that spans the
Christina River in
Wilmington, Delaware.
The current bridge, opened in 1927, is the latest of many bridges that have spanned the Christina at this location since 1808 when the first wooden turn bridge was constructed. Its construction was administered by the then State Highway Department (predecessor of the
Delaware Department of Transportation), and was built to replace the
swing bridge that was built in 1883 to replace the wooden turn bridge built in 1808. The span is one of only three pre-1957 drawbridges of its type in Delaware.
In 1982, the bridge was named after Wilmington state Senator
John Edward Reilly Sr., a gravel-voiced cigar smoker known for his warmth and wit, who died of cancer on February 26, 1963.
The bridge underwent a major rehabilitation in 2004–2006 to replace and upgrade the existing machinery and improve lighting, pedestrian walkways, and the operator towers.
See also
*
*
External links
*
Bridges completed in 1927
Buildings and structures in Wilmington, Delaware
Bridges in New Castle County, Delaware
Road bridges in Delaware
Bascule bridges in the United States
U.S. Route 13
{{Delaware-bridge-struct-stub