Riverside-Delanco Bridge

Tacony-Palmyra | Burlington-Bristol | Riverside-Delanco | Minor Bridges

The Riverside-Delanco Bridge

Crossing

carries County Route 543 across the Rancocas Creek between the towns of Riverside, NJ and Delanco, NJ

Building

current bridge is the third built at this location

idea first surfaced in 1853, but first bridge (old rounded Bow Truss style) not built until 1870 for wagons and passengers at the cost of $50,000

second bridge (Warren Truss style) built in 1901 to accommodate trolleys, other vehicles, and pedestrians

second bridge strengthened in 1923 due to larger and heavier trolleys

Read More about the Riverside-Delanco Bridge on our History page

Construction

construction of present bridge (through Pony Truss style bridge) began in 1934 as a partially federally funded Public Works Administration project
in February, 1935, design and construction problems identified; operating machinery for the movable span was under water at certain high tides. Construction differed significantly from prepared contract plans.
- swing span was required to be raised 4 feet and abutments 3 feet to overcome this problem
- bridge approaches were also raised to meet the new elevation
- Burlington County Freeholders replaced Bridgeweld Engineering Corporation (of NY), the original Consulting Engineer
- Ash, Howard, Needles, and Tammen (of NY) appointed new Consulting Engineer
- revised as-built contract plans were forwarded to the US War Department for approval
opened to traffic on September 14, 1935
officially dedicated as the “Landon-Stone Memorial Bridge”
- Landon and Stone were Burlington County residents who served as high-ranking officers in the Spanish-American War and World War I
general contractor was Kolyn Construction Company
fabricator and erector of the superstructure steel was the American Bridge Company

Cost

total cost was $252,000

in 1966, ownership and maintenance transferred from Burlington County to the Burlington County Bridge Commission because bridge and the road (County Route 543) acted as a "feeder" to Tacony-Palmyra and Burlington-Bristol Bridges

no tolls are collected from bridge users

no tax money from Burlington County residents is used to maintain this bridge

1935: Riverside-Delanco Bridge officially dedicated as the “Landon-Stone Memorial Bridge” — bronze dedication plaque

Specification

structure consists of 3 through Pony Truss spans
center 160-foot movable swing span rotates horizontally to permit the passage of recreational marine traffic
total length from abutment to abutment is approximately 394 feet
roadway is 36 feet wide and carries 2 lanes of vehicular traffic
pedestrians can travel across the creek on the downstream side of the bridge

Clearance/Openings

vertical clearance under the swing span is approximately 12 feet at low tide and less than 6 feet at high tide
marine vessels requiring a vertical clearance greater than that of the movable span in its normally closed position must request a bridge opening. The swing span rotates 90º over the center pier and fender system to permit passage of the vessel; vehicular traffic is temporarily stopped until the vessel clears the bridge; the span then resumes its normal lowered position.
opening and closing operations occur at the center of the swing span, at roadway level, by the bridge operator
horizontal navigation clearance at the swing span is approximately 52 feet between the timber fenders

Power/Lights

electrical power is supplied by PSE&G. Submarine cables installed under the riverbed carry power from one side to the other
navigation lights installed at various locations warn the marine traffic of the bridge structure

1870: First bridge built was the old rounded Bow Truss style

Maintenance

concrete deck and approach pavement surfaces were initially repaired and resurfaced in 1966 and then again in 1997
original pedestrian walkway was replaced in 1994
bridge still has its original deck which has been diligently repaired over the years
numerous structural steel and concrete repairs were performed in 2000
completely repainted in 2001
custom carved wooden bridge identification signs were installed on both ends of the bridge and historic-style light poles and twin luminaries replaced existing standard aluminum light pole assemblies in September 2000 (in recognition of bridge’s 65th anniversary)

Service Times

remains in service to the public through all kinds of weather and conditions
from November through March, although no full time bridge operators are on site, with 24-hour advance notice the bridge can be opened for any mariner

1901: Second Bridge Under Construction

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