The Tacony-Palmyra Bridge

August 14, 2023 will mark the 94th anniversary of the opening of a structure that symbolizes Tacony's storied technological past and forever linked the community with the development of neighboring areas to the West. In the shadows of the fast-growing Dodge Steel Foundry, the sleek steel, granite, and concrete structure known as the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge quickly rose across the Delaware River between February 1928 and August 1929. Viewed at the time as simply a more convenient means of access from Philadelphia to Burlington County, the construction of the bridge not only accomplished this but it virtually opened the door for the development of Northeast Philadelphia.

By 1920, Tacony was a thriving population center which had been put "on the map" by founding fathers like William Gatzmer and Henry Disston, and more recently by local residents like builder Peter Costello and inventor Frank Shuman. Tacony was recognized as a hotbed of industrial might whose geographically central location between Center City and the County line was selected in 1919 as the site of a ferry service to provide easier transportation for motorists and travelers going to New Jersey. On May 6, 1922, the Tacony-Palmyra Ferry Company opened at 4:00 p.m., following substantial newspaper advertising touting, "no congestion or traffic jams... At last! Philly and the seashore united!"

Two ferries, known as the Tacony and the Palmyra operated from 6:00 a.m. until midnight seven days a week, sailing the 4800 foot distance every fifteen minutes. The boat known as Tacony had been purchased from the Gloucester Ferry Company and was previously known as Fearless; while the Palmyra was purchased from the Reading Railroad Company. It is interesting to note that the original choice for the New Jersey side of the ferry was Riverton. However, outcries from local residents against the proposed service resulted in its location at the foot of Cinnaminson Avenue in Palmyra.

The cost to travel on the ferry was 5 cents for individuals and 45 cents for automobiles or trucks. Not only did the ferries serve the transportation needs of residents, but New Jersey farm owners benefitted from an efficient mode by which to transport their produce. The Palmyra could carry eighteen cars and several hundred passengers, while the Tacony was a double decker vessel that could accommodate thirty-six cars and approximately five hundred passengers. An 1100 foot-long driveway at the foot of Levick Street helped motorists access the ferry, which was within reasonable distance of the Tacony and Wissinoming train stations, the Torresdale Avenue Route 58 Trolley Line, and State Road's Holmesburg, Tacony, and Frankford (or "Hop, Toad, and Frog") Trolley Line.

In 1925, the ferries carried 410,567 vehicles, 115,890 foot passengers, and 526,462 bus passengers. Their success prompted the City of Philadelphia to pave Frankford Avenue north of Longshore Avenue to Cottman Avenue, and to pave Cottman Avenue in order to serve increasing East-West traffic. It had become obvious that there was a need for more efficient travel between the states, and the New Jersey Act of 1925 provided for construction of additional bridges over the Delaware. This occurred on the heels of construction of the Delaware River Bridge (now known at the Benjamin Franklin Bridge) between 1924 and 1926. The Tacony-Palmyra Bridge Company was formed in June 1926 by Riverton businessman Charles A. Wright and Edward G. Borer, who owned the land on which the bridge would be built.

The engineering firm of Modjeski, Masters, and Chase was chosed to study and design plans for the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge. A Congressional act approved its construction on January 25, 1927, with final approvals secured by the War Department on the last day of that same year. State and municipal approvals swiftly followed, and on February 14, 1928, construction commenced on the bridge. The projected cost to construct was estimated at $4.7 million dollars. 

Ralph Modjeski designed a brilliant work of modern-day engineering, both function and elegant, whose semi-circular central steel arch lent balance to the somewhat incongruous slope of the cartway. Comprised of several different types of structures, the bridge was made 3,659 feet long (5,162 feet including approaches) and 38 feet wide. It accommodated four lanes of traffic with side pedestrian walkways. The three main structures of the bridge were the central arch in the center of the river, the 260' bascule span (a drawbridge-like section operated by counterweights to allow ships to pass through), and three continues spans plus deck girder approach viaduct spans. The vertical clearance under the center span at high tide is 64 feet. More than 31,000 cubic yards of granite and concrete were used in the substructure while the structural steel used in the superstructure amounted to over 15 million pounds.

Approximately 20 separate contractors were used for different aspects of the bridge's construction, which was overseen from start to finish by Modjeski, Masters, and Chase. Among the more significant contracts were the substructure work performed by Dravo Contractive Company and the superstructure work performed by the American Bridge Company. The piers were set on March 27, 1928, and by August 1929 the job had been completed some $600,000 under budget. 

Although the model of efficiency from a construction standpoint, the building of the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge was not without its share of controversy. The leakage of early design plans, including a $20 million proposal to build it so high that the Bridge would clear all marine traffic, resulted in several firings as well as the dismissal of the secretary-treasurer of the Burlington County Bridge Commission. There were also rumblings about the connection of W. G. Borer to the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge Company, since he purchased the land under the Bridge on September 16, 1926 and sold it to the Bridge Company on February 22, 1927.

A date was set for August 14, 1929 to hold a grand dedication ceremony, which would be followed by the first procession of motorists to use the Bridge. Tolls were suspended on that day, so all motorists crossed the Bridge free of charge. The following day, a 35 cent one-way toll would be initiated. The Tacony-Palmyra Ferry Company ceased operations the day the Bridge opened. Out of the Ferry Company's forty-two employees, thirty were hired to work at the Bridge while the remaining twelve found work at the Chester-Bridgeport Ferry Company.

The significance of the Bridge's opening was certainly not lost on those who took part in the dedication ceremony on August 14, 1929. Throngs of onlookers flocked to both sides of the Bridge, where a speaker's stand adorned in patriotic decorations was located along the upstream side of the Arch Span. A series of amplifiers were hooked to the smooth steel girders of the superstructure above, and a canopy covered the dignitaries' staging area. A sudden and sever Summer thunderstorm blew in just prior to the 3:00 p.m. commencement of the ceremony, and strong winds nearly blew the canopy off the staging area. 

Without a doubt, the importance of this symbolic and momentous event eclipsed even the forces of nature. Despite a downpour, the crowd grew and grew as 3:00 grew nearer. All scheduled speakers gave their speeches, and hundreds of automobiles festooned with colorful bunting and flag decorations paraded across the newly constructed bridge. New Jersey Governor Morgan Larson and Lieutenant Governor James of Pennsylvania arrived in their official vehicles. On the waters below, the whistles of the city boat John Wanamaker signified the arrival of Philadelphia Mayor Harry Mackey and various dignitaries of New Jersey towns. The ferry Palmyra welcomed the new bridge with three blasts and the ceremony to open the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge had officially commenced. 

Addresses were delivered by Governor Morgan, Lieutenant Governor James, Mayor Mackey of Philadelphia, Mayor George Wimer of Palmyra, Chief Engineer Ralph Modjeski, and Charles A. Wright. A thin ribbon was ceremoniously cut by Modjesky, who several years earlier had also designed today's Benjamin Franklin Bridge. All automobiles on the Bridge blew their house in a lengthy crescendo, and onlookers chimed in with various celebratory noise-makers. Songs were played with patriotic fervor by the Franklin American Legion Post Band as two lines of traffic were led toward both shores of the Delaware River. With that, the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge had officially opened and Northeast Philadelphia would never be the same. 

Some notable remarks from the ceremony include:

"We have come here today to further transportation between two great states... Thus there will be a greater development of the two states so joined, I predict." -New Jersey Governor Larson

"I believe the future will see this bridge as one of the most important stages of the present day. It is through better communication that we get in touch with out neighbors and to prosper by the interchange of our products." -Lieutenant Governor James of Pennsylvania

"This new bridge is one step that fits into the coordinated plan of development of the great territory in this section on both sides of the river." -Mayor Mackey of Philadelphia

"This is a bridge which with proper maintenance we hope will last 100 years." -Chief Engineer Ralph Modjeski

When the bridge opened for toll business at 12:30 a.m. on August 15, 1929, the first motorist from the Philadelphia side was Edward M. Heenan of Robbins Avenue in Tacony, while E. C. Cook of Kirkwood New Jersey was the first motorist to cross from the Palmyra side. About 1 1/2 hours later, the first accident occurred on the Bridge when a car driven by Herbert Sparks of Olney was struck in the rear by John A. Kuhne of Oxford Street in Philadelphia. Sparks' two daughters were treated for minor injuries by Dr. Daniel Lofador of Palmyra. 

Within months of the Bridge's opening, over eighteen million dollars in new construction projects had begun, mostly on the Philadelphia side of the bridge in the way of single family rowhomes. A decade or so later, as plans were being conceived for the construction of Interstate 95, the Bridge was intentionally not connected directly to the Expressway so as not to stifle the area's booming development that would extend into the 1960s. To bypass Tacony would have meant a deprivation of not just business along State Road and Torresdale Avenue, but of population in its rapidly growing Westerly sector and adjacent neighborhoods to the West. More than 1.2 million vehicles used the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge in its first year of operation.

In 1948, the Bridge was sold to the Burlington County Bridge Commission and the toll was reduced to 25 cents for a one-way fare. The timber decking on the Bascule Span was soon replaced by metal grating. When the financing bonds were paid off in 1955, the toll was reduced even further to 5 cents. Hence, the Bridge earned the nickname "Nickel Bridge." It didn't become the "Double Nickel Bridge" until the toll was raised to 10 cents on July 1, 1975. Burlington County experienced tremendous growth as a results of connections from Tacony-Palmyra and Burlington-Bristol Bridge, also acquired in 1948, as evidenced by the County's population explosion from 81,770 in 1920 to 97,000 in 1940 and 224,499 in 1960. 

A major marine accident occurred on December 15, 1988 when a major bridge support was struck by a barge owned by River Enterprises, Incorporated. Several pilings were significantly damaged as well as protectant deflectors under the Bridge. Although still structurally sound, metal plates and tension bars were used to temporarily absorb the stress created by the damage. In 1990, a section of the Arch Span foundation was totally replaced to correct the problem. 

Many additional improvements were made to adapt the Bridge to 21st Century standards during the 1990s. Worn sections of decking were replaces and heavy reinforcement rods were added to the deck. Various pier replacements and horizontal jacking of spans were performed, as well as replacement of tread plates, cables, and street lights. Numerous deteriorated steel rivets were also replaced. The removal of the Southbound toll booths and initiation of one-way toll collection on the Palmyra side took place in 1992. At this time, the round-trip toll became $1.00, having increased to 25 cents for a one-way in 1982 and to 50 cents in 1990. The Bridge was reduced to three lanes in 1997 and reconfigured with wider lanes (two from New Jersey and one from Pennsylvania) and a buffer zone for safety.

Without question, the durability and efficiency of the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge is directly attributed to the effective management of the Burlington County Bridge Commission, which has owned it for 55 years. For the past 51 years, the consulting engineering firm of Parsons Transportation Group (formerly Steinman, Boynton, Gronquist, and Birdsall) has supplied the Bridge Commission with various studies, annual inspections, design, and construction monitoring which have helped keep the Bridge functional and stable. The improvements and upgrades which have been made will help the Bridge last another 75 years or more. The Bridge has remained in constant public service since its opening, with the exception of one month between December, 1988 and January, 1989, when a closure was necessary due to the marine accident. 

On the Palmyra side, the majestic presence of the Bridge has spurred development which capitalized on scenic vistas along the Delaware River. River Villas has been a fixture on the River for decades, consisting of rental townhomes and apartments. In the late 1990s, a residential development consisting of townhomes and condominiums on the North side of Palmyra's shore became one of the fastest selling projects in the history of its developer. In 2003, Palmyra Cove Nature Park opened a 350 acre nature/wildlife park with educational exhibits and opportunities to see a variety of birds and mammals. On the Philadelphia side, momentum is underway for a long-overdue shift from industrial uses to a combination of primarily residential and recreational uses. The Kensington and Tacony Trail (K&T Trail) was opened in 2017, the first part of a planned 11-mile rail-trail paralleling the river on what was once the Kensington and Tacony Rail Line. The K&T Trail currently runs 0.78 miles, connecting Lardner's Point Park (near Levick) with the Frankford Arsenal Boat Launch. The next part is underway and will connecting the riverfront from Magee Avenue to Princeton Avenue. 

The Bridge today is both an efficient mechanism and technological marvel, equipped with both navigation lights and obstruction lights to warn both marine and air traffic of the structure. Each leaf of the opening Bascule Span weighs an awesome 3.3 million pounds and opens upon request by any marine vessel requiring a greater clearance than the closed span provides. The Bridge opens its span approximately 1000 times per year and handles more than 70,000 vehicles annually. The current toll rate, as of March 2022, is $4.00 ($3.00 with EZ Pass).

For nearly a century, the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge has been Tacony's most visible landmark; its industrial beauty and steely strength stretched solemnly across the Delaware. Along with the development of Roosevelts Boulevard and the Market-Frankford Elevated Railway, the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge ushered in a new era in the social strata of the city. Farms were transformed into neighborhoods, and several generations were bred in primarily row style homes on manicured lawns in idealistic post-war splendor. The development of Westerly portions of Tacony, Wissinoming, Holmesburg, Mayfair, Castor Gardens, and Oxford Circle, helped keep these generations geographically closer to one another. This strengthened the fabric of the Northeast section of the city, which adopted the characteristic of the remainder of the city as a "town of neighborhoods."