Walt Whitman Bridge
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| Walt Whitman Bridge | |
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| Official name | Walt Whitman Bridge |
| Carries | 7 lanes of I-76 |
| Crosses | Delaware River |
| Locale | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Gloucester City, New Jersey |
| Maintained by | Delaware River Port Authority of Pennsylvania and New Jersey |
| ID number | 4500010 |
| Design | steel suspension bridge |
| Longest span | 609.6 meters (2,000 feet) |
| Total length | 3,651.81 meters (11,981 feet) |
| Width | 28.04 meters (92 feet) |
| Vertical clearance | 150 feet |
| Clearance below | 45.72 meters (150 feet) |
| AADT | 120,000 |
| Opening date | May 16, 1957 |
| Toll | $3.00 (westbound) (E-ZPass) |
| Maps and aerial photos | |
The Walt Whitman Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Delaware River from Philadelphia to Gloucester City, New Jersey. Named after the poet Walt Whitman, who resided in nearby Camden toward the end of his life, the Walt Whitman Bridge is one of the larger bridges on the east coast of the United States. The bridge is owned and operated by the Delaware River Port Authority.
Construction on the bridge began in 1953, and it opened to traffic on May 16, 1957. The bridge has a total length of 11,981 feet (3,651 meters), and a main span of 2,000 feet (610 meters). The bridge has seven lanes, three in each direction and a center lane that is shifted variably (via a zipper barrier) to accommodate heavy traffic.[1]
The bridge is a part of Interstate 76 (which, between the river and the Pennsylvania Turnpike interchange in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, is known as the "Schuylkill Expressway"). Along with the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, Betsy Ross Bridge, Delaware Memorial Bridge, and Commodore Barry Bridge, the Walt Whitman Bridge is one of five expressway-standard bridges connecting the Philadelphia area with southern New Jersey.
On the evening of March 27, 2008, the bridge was closed for almost 4 hours due to a police standoff with a 35-year-old New Jersey man in the westbound lanes approximately ⅓ of the way across the span.[2] The standoff snarled rush-hour traffic who had to find alternate routes across the Delaware River.[3]
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[edit] Tolls
A $3.00 one-way toll is charged entering Pennsylvania for passenger vehicles (less than 7,000 lbs gross vehicle weight). An $18 credit will be given on a per tag basis for any DRPA-issued E-ZPass tag that crosses one of the four DRPA bridges 18 times in a calendar month. Trucks, Commercial vehicles, mobile homes and recreation vehicles (weighing at least 7,000 lbs. gross vehicle weight), pay $4.50 cash per axle. Seniors aged 65 and over can use a ticket program to pay $1.00 per trip (not integrated with E-ZPass).[4] The DRPA had initially proposed a $1 to $2 toll increase on the bridge in early 2008,[5] however it has pushed the toll hike back to at least mid-2008 due to its decision to use general funds to fund projects for the time being.[6]
[edit] Popular Culture
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Due to its national prominence as one of Philadelphia's largest bridges, and also because of its perceived architectural beauty, the Walt Whitman Bridge has been referenced frequently in popular culture, including:
- The Philadelphia-based rock 'n' roll troubadours Marah include a song named "Walt Whitman Bridge" on their 2005 album "If You Didn't Laugh, You'd Cry", in which the heartbroken protagonist stands alone on the bridge, smoking a cigarette and allowing the memory of his lost love to blow away on the breeze.
- Part of the music video for Southern Rock band 38 Special's song "Back Where you Belong" was filmed underneath the Walt Whitman Bridge, using police officers from neighboring Collingdale.
- A scene in the movie The Italian Job also was filmed under the Walt Whitman Bridge.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Walt Whitman Bridge Historic Overview, PhillyRoads.com. Accessed October 12, 2007.
- ^ Standoff On Walt Whitman Bridge Ends In Arrest. WTXF-TV (2008-03-27). Retrieved on 2008-03-27.
- ^ Graham, Troy. "Standoff shuts bridge", The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 28, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-03-29.
- ^ DRPA Bridge Fares, accessed December 11, 2006
- ^ Nussbaum, Paul (November 15, 2007). Toll hikes likely on DRPA spans early next year. The Philadelphia Inquirer.
- ^ Nussbaum, Paul (December 6, 2007). DRPA may delay toll hike. The Philadelphia Inquirer.
[edit] External links
- Delaware River Port Authority site
- Walt Whitman Bridge historic overview (phillyroads.com)
- Walt Whitman Bridge in the Structurae database
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