Northampton Street Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Northampton Street Bridge is a bridge connecting Easton, PA
and Phillipsburg, NJ
that crosses the Delaware River
. It is maintained by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission
despite not being a toll bridge. It is known locally as the "Free Bridge" thus distinguishing it from the Easton-Phillipsburg Toll Bridge
just upstream to the north. The crossing was first a ferry crossing run by David Martin, beginning in 1739. The original wooden bridge opened on October 14, 1806. The original bridge was designed and built by Timothy Palmer, one of the most famous bridge
builders of his time. Palmer's covered bridge at Easton endured many floods and storms while other bridges fell.
However, by the late nineteenth century, when horse-drawn streetcars were replaced by trolley cars, the old wooden bridge could no longer handle the demands of traffic and a new structure was erected in 1895. The new bridge was designed by James Madison Porter III
, an alumnus of nearby Lafayette College
and later a professor of civil engineering
there. Porter hailed from a family long prominent in Easton and Pennsylvania history.
The Northampton Street Bridge sustained major damage during Hurricane Diane
when floodwaters, 44 feet (13.4 m) above normal water level, topped the roadway of the bridge on August 19, 1955. Repairs carried out by Bethlehem Steel
over the next two years made the bridge usable but the flood damage left a readily apparent sag in the center span that remains today.
Another series of improvements were completed in the summer of 2002 and included structural steel repair and replacement, painting, and the replacement and installation of sidewalk decking and new pedestrian railings.
The bridge is currently posted for a three-ton weight limit and a fifteen mile per hour speed limit.
Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,800 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Northampton County....
and Phillipsburg, NJ
Phillipsburg, New Jersey
Phillipsburg, known locally as P'burg, is a town in Warren County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 14,950....
that crosses the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
. It is maintained by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission
Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission
The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission is a bistate, public agency charged with providing safe, dependable and efficient river crossings between Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The DRJTBC was established under legislation enacted in the two states in 1934. The federal Compact for the...
despite not being a toll bridge. It is known locally as the "Free Bridge" thus distinguishing it from the Easton-Phillipsburg Toll Bridge
Easton-Phillipsburg Toll Bridge
The Easton–Phillipsburg Toll Bridge is a bridge that carries U.S. Route 22 over the Delaware River. The bridge is between Easton, PA and Phillipsburg, NJ. The bridge opened on January 14, 1938 and it's operated by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission...
just upstream to the north. The crossing was first a ferry crossing run by David Martin, beginning in 1739. The original wooden bridge opened on October 14, 1806. The original bridge was designed and built by Timothy Palmer, one of the most famous bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
builders of his time. Palmer's covered bridge at Easton endured many floods and storms while other bridges fell.
However, by the late nineteenth century, when horse-drawn streetcars were replaced by trolley cars, the old wooden bridge could no longer handle the demands of traffic and a new structure was erected in 1895. The new bridge was designed by James Madison Porter III
James Madison Porter III
James Madison Porter III was an American civil engineer notable for his role in designing two unique bridges across the Delaware River and for his development of the civil engineering program at Lafayette College. His grandfather, James Madison Porter, was one of the college's founders...
, an alumnus of nearby Lafayette College
Lafayette College
Lafayette College is a private coeducational liberal arts and engineering college located in Easton, Pennsylvania, USA. The school, founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter,son of General Andrew Porter of Norristown and citizens of Easton, first began holding classes in 1832...
and later a professor of civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
there. Porter hailed from a family long prominent in Easton and Pennsylvania history.
The Northampton Street Bridge sustained major damage during Hurricane Diane
Hurricane Diane
Hurricane Diane was one of three hurricanes to hit North Carolina during the 1955 Atlantic hurricane season, striking an area that had been hit by Hurricane Connie five days earlier...
when floodwaters, 44 feet (13.4 m) above normal water level, topped the roadway of the bridge on August 19, 1955. Repairs carried out by Bethlehem Steel
Bethlehem Steel
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation , based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was once the second-largest steel producer in the United States, after Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based U.S. Steel. After a decline in the U.S...
over the next two years made the bridge usable but the flood damage left a readily apparent sag in the center span that remains today.
Another series of improvements were completed in the summer of 2002 and included structural steel repair and replacement, painting, and the replacement and installation of sidewalk decking and new pedestrian railings.
The bridge is currently posted for a three-ton weight limit and a fifteen mile per hour speed limit.