The bridges are dedicated to those from both New Jersey and Delaware who died in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Persian Gulf War. On the Delaware side of the bridge is a War Memorial, visible from the northbound-side lanes. The toll facility is operated by theDelaware River and Bay Authority.
The Delaware Memorial Bridge is the southernmost fixed vehicular crossing of the Delaware River and the only fixed vehicular crossing between Delaware and New Jersey. However, atFort Mott, N.J., there is a small amount of land on the New Jersey side of the river that is part of theState of Delaware, and thus there are pedestrian crossings in between those states, but not spanning the river. TheCape May–Lewes Ferryprovides an alternate route between travelers from New Jersey and theNortheastern Statesto southern Delaware.
Following the opening of theBenjamin Franklin BridgeinPhiladelphia, residents of Delaware and New Jersey began to advocate a crossing of the river in the area ofWilmington, Delaware. As commercial pressures mounted, a ferry service begun in 1926 as an interim measure, and this ran near the bridge's current location. Advocates of abridgecrossing between Delaware and New Jersey faced strong opposition from the Philadelphia Port Authorities, which claimed that the bridge would be a menace to navigation. TheU.S. NavyandU.S. Coast Guardwere also concerned that the bridge would be vulnerable to an enemy attack. If the bridge were to collapse into the river, it could render thePhiladelphia Navy Yardunusable.
As traffic by cars and truck increased rapidly, the benefits of a bridge in this area became evident, and its construction was authorized by the highway departments of Delaware and New Jersey in 1945. Originally, a two-lanehighwaytunnel was considered, but the costs for a four-lane bridge was found to be equivalent in price, therefore being the reason a four-lane bridge was chosen.Congressapproved the bridge project on July 13, 1946, and its construction began on February 1, 1949.
The project cost $44 million, and it took two years to complete the 175 feet (53 m) high span with towers reaching 440 feet (134 m) above water level. The first span opened to traffic on August 16, 1951, and at the time was the sixth-longest main suspension span in the world.[2]TheGovernor of Delaware,Elbert N. Carvel, and theGovernor of New Jersey,Alfred E. Driscoll, dedicated the bridge to each state's war dead fromWorld War II.
The bridge quickly proved a popular travel route when theNew Jersey Turnpikeconnection was completed at its north end. By 1955, nearly eight million vehicles were crossing the bridge each year, nearly twice the original projection. By 1960, the bridge was carrying more than 15 million cars and trucks per year, and this increased even more when the bridge was linked to the new Delaware Turnpike,Interstate 95, in November 1963.
Construction of the second span began in mid-1964, 250 feet (76 m) north of the original span. At a cost of $77 million, the second span of the Delaware Memorial Bridge opened on September 12, 1968, and was dedicated to those soldiers from Delaware and New Jersey killed in theKorean WarandVietnam War. The original span was closed down for fifteen months for refurbishment: its suspenders were replaced and its deck and median barrier were removed and replaced with a single deck to allow four undivided lanes of traffic. Finally, on December 29, 1969, all eight lanes of the Delaware Memorial Bridge Twin Span opened to traffic, making it the world's second longest twin suspension bridge.[3]
While they are similar in basic appearance, major differences can be seen between the original and second spans. The original span was constructed of riveted steel plates, and it has an open-grate shoulder access walk. In contrast, the second span was constructed mostly of welded steel plates (with heavy riveted joints in crucial areas) and it has concrete access walks.[4]
The original suspension span carries northbound traffic forInterstate 295, whereas the newer span carries the southbound traffic. Crossover lanes on each side of the bridge can allow for two-way traffic on one span if the other has to be closed for an extensive period of time.
The bridge had a close call with disaster when on July 9, 1969, the oil tankerRegent Liverpoolstruck the fender system protecting the tower piers. The bridge itself was spared damage, but the fender suffered about $1.0 million in damage.
The Delaware River and Bay Authority began a $13 million project in 2003 to resurface the bridge, refurbish theexpansion joints, upgrade the electrical system, and replace the elevators in the four towers. This work was completed in 2008.
As of 2018, more than 80,000 vehicles cross the twin spans on their combined total of eight lanes daily.[5]
The largest single day of traffic had 79,488 private and commercial vehicles cross the bridge one-way on November 29, 2009. The largest single weekend for traffic totals had 211,685 vehicles cross the bridge one-way, August 16-18, 2019.[5]
One-way tolls for traffic entering Delaware were instituted in 1992.[6]As of May 1, 2019, the toll is $5.00 for passenger vehicles using cash and $4.75 using a Delaware or New Jersey issuedE-ZPass.[6]Frequent Traveler discounts are available. About $270,000 in tolls are collected daily.[7]The DRBA has originally proposed to raise the toll from $4.00 to $5.00 on March 1, 2019,[8]however New Jersey GovernorPhil Murphyvetoed this plan on January 3, 2019.[9]In February, the DRBA and the governors of Delaware and New Jersey reached an agreement which postponed the toll hike to May 1, as well as providing a 25 cent E-ZPass discount for passenger vehicles. The frequent traveler rate increased from $1.25 to $1.75.[10]
Prior to the introduction of E-ZPass, both tokens and frequent traveler tickets were used, with special, discounted ticket books for local residents. They were phased out upon the introduction of the new system, and the tokens are no longer valid.[citation needed]
Since opening of the first bridge in 1951, annual ceremonies are held at the bridge's War Memorial onMemorial DayandVeterans Dayto honor the sacrifices of American war veterans.[11]The memorial is located inVeterans Memorial ParkinNew Castle, Delaware, and it features a reflecting pool, a statue of a soldier, and a wall containing the names of 15,000 men and women from Delaware and New Jersey who were killed inWorld War II, theKorean War, theWar in Vietnam, and thePersian Gulf War.[12]
Miller, William J. (1983).Crossing the Delaware: The Story of the Delaware Memorial Bridge, the Longest Twin-Suspension Bridge in the World. Middle Atlantic.ISBN978-0-911293-02-9.
