The Upper Black Eddy–Milford Bridge is a free bridge that crosses over the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the Eastern United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for a ...

in the United States. Owned and operated by the

Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission (DRJTBC) is a bistate, public agency that maintains and operates river crossings connecting the U.S. states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The agency's jurisdiction stretches roughly along the D ...

, it carries Bridge Street, connecting CR 519 in Milford,

Hunterdon County Hunterdon County is a County (United States), county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the county was the state's List of counties in New Jersey, 4th-least populous ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

, with Pennsylvania Route 32 in Upper Black Eddy,

Bucks County Bucks County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 646,538, making it the fourth-most populous county in Pennsylvania. Its county seat is Doylestown. The county is named after the English ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

. The bridge currently has a 55-ton (49-metric ton) weight limit, the heaviest free bridge on the Delaware.

History

Following a great flood in 1841, a wood-timbered, covered bridge was built in 1842 to accommodate business needs that

ferries A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus. ...

could not handle. Severely damaged by a subsequent flood in 1903, during which it lost one of its three wooden spans, the bridge was repaired. During its reconstruction, the ferry was put back into service while the bridge was repaired. The wood spans remained in use until replaced by the current steel bridge in 1933; only the stone piers were reused at that time. The bridge charged tolls until 1929. Two more

flood A flood is an overflow of water (list of non-water floods, or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are of significant con ...

s damaged the bridge, including the Flood of 1955 in the aftermath of both

Hurricane Connie Hurricane Connie was a Category 4 hurricane that contributed to significant flooding across the eastern United States in August 1955, just days before Hurricane Diane affected the same general area. Connie formed on August 3 from a tropica ...

and

Hurricane Diane Hurricane Diane was the first Atlantic hurricane to cause more than an estimated $1 billion in damage (in 1955 dollars, which would be $11,764,962,686 today), including direct costs and the loss of business and personal revenue. It tropical ...

. The 1955 flood left the bridge under seven feet of water; while it did not completely destroy the bridge, it did cause structural damage.Hunterdon's Delaware Bridges
, accessed March 6, 2007

Gallery

Image:Milford, NJ- Upper Black eddy, PA bridge truss detail.jpg, Some structural details of the bridge

References

External links

NJ Skylands Delaware River Crossings
{{DEFAULTSORT:Upper Black Eddy - Milford Bridge Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission Road bridges in Pennsylvania Bridges over the Delaware River Bridges in Hunterdon County, New Jersey Bridges completed in 1842 Bridges in Bucks County, Pennsylvania Road bridges in New Jersey Former toll bridges in New Jersey Former toll bridges in Pennsylvania 1842 establishments in New Jersey Steel bridges in the United States Interstate vehicle bridges in the United States 1842 establishments in Pennsylvania

History

See also

Gallery

References

External links