The Delaware Memorial Bridge is a

dual-span Twin bridges are a set of two bridges running parallel to each other. A pair of twin bridges is often referred to collectively as a twin-span or dual-span bridge. Twin bridges are independent structures and each bridge has its own superstructu ...

suspension bridge A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck (bridge), deck is hung below suspension wire rope, cables on vertical suspenders. The first modern examples of this type of bridge were built in the early 1800s. Simple suspension bridg ...

crossing the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...

. The toll bridges carry Interstate 295 and

U.S. Route 40 U.S. Route 40 or U.S. Highway 40 (US 40), also known as the Main Street of America, is a major east–west United States Highway traveling across the United States from the Mountain States to the Mid-Atlantic States. As with most routes wh ...

and is also the link between Delaware and New Jersey. The bridge was designed by the firm known today as

HNTB HNTB Corporation is an American infrastructure design firm. Founded in 1914 in Kansas City, Missouri, HNTB began with the partnership made by Ernest Emmanuel Howard with the firm Waddell & Harrington, founded in 1907. Considered as one of the m ...

with consulting help from engineer

Othmar Ammann Othmar Hermann Ammann (March 26, 1879 – September 22, 1965) was a Swiss-American civil engineer whose bridge designs include the George Washington Bridge, Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, and Bayonne Bridge. He also directed the planning and constru ...

, whose other designs include the Walt Whitman Bridge (which is similar in appearance to each of the Delaware Memorial Bridge spans, except for being a single span with more lanes) and the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. It is also one of only two crossings of the Delaware River with both

U.S. Highway The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these h ...

and

Interstate Highway The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. Th ...

designations, the other being the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. The bridges provide a regional connection for long-distance travelers. While not a part of

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1, US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between M ...

, they connect two parts of the highway: the Delaware Turnpike ( Interstate 95 in Delaware) on the south side with the

New Jersey Turnpike The New Jersey Turnpike (NJTP) is a system of controlled-access highways in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The turnpike is maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA).The Garden State Parkway, although maintained by NJTA, is not consi ...

(later Interstate 95 in New Jersey) on the north side. They also connect Interstate 495,

U.S. Route 13 U.S. Route 13 (US 13) is a north–south U.S. highway established in 1926 that runs for from Interstate 95 (I-95) just north of Fayetteville, North Carolina to US 1 in the northeastern suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Morrisville. ...

, and Route 9 in New Castle, Delaware with

U.S. Route 130 U.S. Route 130 (US 130) is a U.S. Highway that is a spur route of U.S. Route 30, located completely within the state of New Jersey. It is signed with north and south cardinal directions, following a general northeast–southwest diagonal path, wi ...

Pennsville Township, New Jersey Pennsville Township is a township in Salem County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 13,409, reflecting an increase of 215 (+1.6%) from the 13,194 counted in the 2000 census. The townshi ...

(at the settlement of Deepwater, New Jersey). The bridges are dedicated to those from both New Jersey and Delaware who died in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Persian Gulf War. On the Delaware side of the bridge is a War Memorial, visible from the northbound-side lanes. The toll facility is operated by the Delaware River and Bay Authority. The Delaware Memorial Bridge is the southernmost and the largest fixed vehicular crossing of the Delaware River. It is also the only fixed vehicular crossing between Delaware and New Jersey. However, at Fort Mott, New Jersey, there is a small amount of land on the New Jersey side of the river that is part of the State of Delaware, and thus there are pedestrian crossings in between those states, but not spanning the river. The

Cape May–Lewes Ferry The Cape May–Lewes Ferry is a ferry system in the United States that traverses a crossing of the Delaware Bay connecting North Cape May, New Jersey with Lewes, Delaware. The ferry constitutes a portion of U.S. Route 9 and is the final crossing ...

provides an alternate route between travelers from New Jersey and the Northeastern states to southern Delaware.

History

The first span

Following the opening of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge in Philadelphia, residents of Delaware and New Jersey began to advocate a crossing of the river in the area of Wilmington, Delaware. As commercial pressures mounted, a ferry service began, as an interim measure, to run in 1926, near the bridge's current location. Advocates of a bridge crossing between Delaware and New Jersey faced strong opposition from the Philadelphia Port Authorities, which claimed that the bridge would be a menace to navigation. The U.S. Navy and

U.S. Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, multi ...

were also concerned that the bridge would be vulnerable to an enemy attack. If the bridge were to collapse into the river, it could render the Philadelphia Navy Yard unusable. As traffic by cars and truck increased rapidly, the benefits of a bridge in this area became evident, and its construction was authorized by the highway departments of Delaware and New Jersey in 1945. Originally, a two-lane highway tunnel was considered, but the costs for a four-lane bridge was found to be equivalent in price, therefore being the reason a four-lane bridge was chosen. Congress approved the bridge project on July 13, 1946, and its construction began on February 1, 1949. The project cost $44 million, and it took two years to complete the high span with towers reaching above water level. The first span opened to traffic on August 16, 1951, and at the time was the sixth-longest main suspension span in the world. The Governor of Delaware,

Elbert N. Carvel Elbert Nostrand "Bert" Carvel (February 9, 1910 – February 6, 2005) was an American businessman and politician from Laurel, in Sussex County, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party, who served as the 12th Lieutenant Governor of Del ...

, and the Governor of New Jersey,

Alfred E. Driscoll Alfred Eastlack Driscoll (October 25, 1902 – March 9, 1975) was an American Republican Party politician, who served in the New Jersey Senate (1939–1941) representing Camden County, who served as the 43rd governor of New Jersey, and as ...

, dedicated the bridge to each state's war dead from World War II. The bridge quickly proved a popular travel route when the

connection was completed at its north end. By 1955, nearly eight million vehicles were crossing the bridge each year, nearly twice the original projection. By 1960, the bridge was carrying more than 15 million cars and trucks per year, and this increased even more when the bridge was linked to the new Delaware Turnpike,

, in November 1963.

The second span

Construction of the second span began in mid-1964, north of the original span. At a cost of $77 million, the second span of the Delaware Memorial Bridge opened on September 12, 1968, and was dedicated to those soldiers from Delaware and New Jersey killed in the Korean War and Vietnam War. The original span was closed down for fifteen months for refurbishment: its suspenders were replaced and its deck and median barrier were removed and replaced with a single deck to allow four undivided lanes of traffic. Finally, on December 29, 1969, all eight lanes of the Delaware Memorial Bridge Twin Span opened to traffic, making it the world's second longest twin suspension bridge. While they are similar in basic appearance, major differences can be seen between the original and second spans. The original span was constructed of riveted steel plates, and it has an open-grate shoulder access walk. In contrast, the second span was constructed mostly of welded steel plates (with heavy riveted joints in crucial areas) and it has concrete access walks. The original suspension span carries northbound traffic for Interstate 295, whereas the newer span carries the southbound traffic. Crossover lanes on each side of the bridge can allow for two-way traffic on one span if the other has to be closed for an extensive period of time.

1969–present

The bridge had a close call with disaster when on July 9, 1969, the oil tanker ''Regent Liverpool'' struck the fender system protecting the tower piers. The bridge itself was spared damage, but the fender suffered about $1.0 million in damage. The Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA) began a $13 million project in 2003 to resurface the bridge, refurbish the expansion joints, upgrade the electrical system, and replace the elevators in the four towers. This work was completed in 2008. In 2022 the DRBA began a project to apply

ultra-high performance concrete Concrete is produced in a variety of compositions, finishes and performance characteristics to meet a wide range of needs. Mix design Modern concrete mix designs can be complex. The choice of a concrete mix depends on the need of the project ...

to the driving surface of the eastbound span. , more than 80,000 vehicles cross the twin spans on their combined total of eight lanes daily. On clear days, the skyline of Philadelphia is visible in the distance on the left going to New Jersey and on the right leaving New Jersey. Wilmington, Delaware, only a few miles away from the bridge, is also visible. Other landmarks that can be seen from the bridge includes the cooling tower for PSEG's

Hope Creek Nuclear Generating Station Hope Creek Nuclear Generating Station is a thermal nuclear power plant located in Lower Alloways Creek Township, in Salem County, New Jersey, United States, on the same site on Artificial Island as the two-unit Salem Nuclear Power Plant. The pl ...

near Salem, New Jersey, the

Delaware City Refinery The Delaware City Refinery, currently owned by Delaware City Refining Corporation, a subsidiary of PBF Energy, is an oil refinery in Delaware City, Delaware. When operational it has a total throughput capacity of , and employs around 570 individu ...

Delaware City, Delaware Delaware City is a city in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The population was 1,695 at the 2010 census. It is a small port town on the eastern terminus of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and is the location of the Forts Ferry Cross ...

, the

Reedy Point Bridge The Reedy Point Bridge carries Delaware Route 9 across the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal in Delaware City, Delaware, USA. A two-lane cantilever bridge similar in appearance to the Platt Bridge in Southwest Philadelphia (near Philadelphia Internati ...

, also in Delaware City, both the St. Georges Bridge and the

Senator William V. Roth Jr. Bridge The Senator William V. Roth Jr. Bridge (originally the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal Bridge and also referred to as the Roth Bridge) is a concrete and steel cable-stayed bridge that spans the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal near St. Georges, Delaware. ...

St. Georges, Delaware Saint Georges is an unincorporated town and former municipality situated on the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal in New Castle County, Delaware, United States, approximately midway between the Delaware River and Chesapeake Bay. History St. Georges w ...

, and the Commodore Barry Bridge in Chester, Pennsylvania. The largest single day of traffic had 79,488 private and commercial vehicles cross the bridge one-way on November 29, 2009. The largest single weekend for traffic totals had 211,685 vehicles cross the bridge one-way, August 16–18, 2019.

Toll

One-way tolls for traffic entering Delaware (westbound) were instituted in 1992. , the toll is $5.00 for passenger vehicles using cash and $4.75 using a Delaware or New Jersey issued

E-ZPass E-ZPass is an electronic toll collection system used on toll roads, toll bridges, and toll tunnels in the Eastern United States, Midwestern United States, and Southern United States. The E-ZPass Interagency Group (IAG) consists of member agencie ...

. Frequent Traveler discounts are available. About $270,000 in tolls are collected daily. The DRBA has originally proposed to raise the toll from $4.00 to $5.00 on March 1, 2019, however New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy vetoed this plan on January 3, 2019. In February, the DRBA and the governors of Delaware and New Jersey reached an agreement which postponed the toll hike to May 1, as well as providing a 25 cent E-ZPass discount for passenger vehicles. The frequent traveler rate increased from $1.25 to $1.75. Prior to the introduction of E-ZPass, both tokens and frequent traveler tickets were used, with special, discounted ticket books for local residents. They were phased out upon the introduction of the new system, and the tokens are no longer valid.

War Memorial

Since opening of the first bridge in 1951, annual ceremonies are held at the bridge's War Memorial on Memorial Day and Veterans Day to honor the sacrifices of American war veterans. The memorial is located in Veterans Memorial Park in New Castle, Delaware, and it features a reflecting pool, a statue of a soldier, and a wall containing the names of 15,000 men and women from Delaware and New Jersey who were killed in World War II, the Korean War, the War in Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf War.

Gallery

File:Delaware Memorial Bridge1.jpg, An atmospheric setting as the Delaware Memorial Bridge is approached from the Delaware side, 2017 File:Delaware-New Jersey State Line on DMB (southbound).jpg, Delaware/New Jersey State Line marked on southbound span of Delaware Memorial Bridge File:Delaware River and Bay Authority headquarters by Matthew Bisanz.jpg, Delaware River and Bay Authority headquarters in the bridge toll plaza

References

External links

*
Delaware State Code Title 17, Chapter 3
Legal framework for Delaware Memorial Bridge

Legal framework for Delaware River and Bay Authority

* * * {{Authority control Bridges completed in 1951 Bridges completed in 1968 Bridges over the Delaware River Bridges in New Castle County, Delaware Transportation buildings and structures in Salem County, New Jersey Interstate 95 Delaware River and Bay Authority facilities World War II memorials in the United States Monuments and memorials in Delaware Monuments and memorials in New Jersey Suspension bridges in the United States Toll bridges in Delaware Toll bridges in New Jersey Tolled sections of Interstate Highways U.S. Route 40 Road bridges in New Jersey Road bridges in Delaware Bridges by Othmar Ammann Bridges on the Interstate Highway System Bridges of the United States Numbered Highway System Towers in Delaware Steel bridges in the United States Pennsville Township, New Jersey Buildings and structures in New Castle, Delaware Interstate vehicle bridges in the United States 1951 establishments in Delaware 1951 establishments in New Jersey