Bridges of Philadelphia

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Being situated along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers, and with several other significant creeks running through it, it is not surprising that a major city like Philadelphia would have a lot of bridges.

Philadelphia is home to the oldest road bridge in the United States. This is Frankford Avenue Bridge, which is a three-span stone arch built to span Pennypack Creek. It was built in 1697 to connect William Penn's house with the city of Philadelphia, which had been founded a mere 15 years previous. It is still standing, although it has been altered several times since. It is still part of U.S. Route 13. Another bridge of significant age in the city is Fisher's Lane Bridge, a stone arch bridge over Tacony Creek on Fisher's Lane, now located in Tacony Creek Park, which dates to 1796.

Among those bridges that cross the Delaware or Schuylkill, historically significant ones include Strawberry Mansion Bridge, a steel arch bridge over the Schuylkill on Strawberry Mansion that dates to 1897.

There are many bridges of historic interest that span Wissahickon Creek in Fairmount Park. These include, from north to south:

• Bells Mill Bridge, a road bridge that carries Bells Mill Road over Wissahickon Creek
• Thomas Mill Covered Bridge, the only covered bridge remaining in Philadelphia. It was built in 1855 and is now open to pedestrians only.
• Valley Green Bridge, a stone arch bridge dating from 1832.
• Walnut Lane Bridge, built in 1908 and at the time of its construction the largest concrete arch bridge in the world.
• Blue Stone Bridge, which carries Forbidden Drive over Wissahickon Creek, is a small stone bridge built in 1893.
• Wissahickon Memorial Bridge, also known as the Henry Avenue Bridge, is a bridge of similar design to Walnut Lane Bridge that dates from 1931

Another significant bridge in the area is Walnut Lane Memorial Bridge (sometimes referred to as Walnut Lane Bridge, although the builder's plate reads "Walnut Lane Memorial Bridge"), less than a mile east of Walnut Lane Bridge, carries Walnut Lane over Lincoln Drive. Completed in 1950, it was the first pre-stressed concrete girder bridge in the United States.