Benjamin Franklin Bridge
The Benjamin Franklin Bridge, originally named the Delaware River Bridge and known locally as the Ben Franklin Bridge, is a suspension bridge across the Delaware River connecting Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Camden, New Jersey. Owned and operated by the Delaware River Port Authority, it is one of four primary vehicular bridges between Philadelphia and southern New Jersey, along with the Betsy Ross, Walt Whitman, and Tacony-Palmyra bridges. It carries Interstate 676/U.S. Route 30, pedestrians/cyclists, and the PATCO Speedline.
Benjamin Franklin Bridge | |
|---|---|
Benjamin Franklin Bridge at sunset in February 2023 | |
| Coordinates | 39.953°N 75.134°W |
| Carries | 7 lanes of I-676 / US 30, 2 PATCO railroad tracks, and 2 sidewalks |
| Crosses | Delaware River |
| Locale | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Camden, New Jersey |
| Official name | Benjamin Franklin Bridge |
| Other name(s) | Ben Franklin Bridge |
| Maintained by | Delaware River Port Authority of Pennsylvania and New Jersey |
| ID number | 4500010 |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Steel suspension bridge |
| Total length | 9,650 feet (2,940 m) |
| Width | 128 feet (39 m) |
| Height | 385 feet (117 m) |
| Longest span | 1,750 feet (530 m) |
| Clearance above | 135 feet (41 m) |
| Clearance below | 41.19 feet (12.55 m) |
| History | |
| Construction cost | $37,103,765 |
| Opened | July 1, 1926 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 100,000 |
| Toll | Cars $5.00; Trucks over 7,000 lbs $7.50/axle; Buses $3.75/axle (westbound into PA) (E-ZPass) |
| Official name | Benjamin Franklin Bridge over the Delaware River |
| Designated | December 12, 2003 |
| Location | |
The bridge was dedicated as part of the 1926 Sesquicentennial Exposition, celebrating the 150th anniversary of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence. From 1926 to 1929, it had the longest single span of any suspension bridge in the world.