Reedy Point Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Reedy Point Bridge carries Delaware Route 9
across the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal in Delaware City, Delaware
, USA. A two-lane cantilever bridge
similar in appearance to the Platt Bridge
in Southwest Philadelphia
(near Philadelphia International Airport
), the Reedy Point Bridge was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and opened in 1968, replacing a lift bridge
that crossed the C&D Canal prior to the 1955 widening project. Unlike the nearby St. Georges Bridge
, the Reedy Point Bridge spans over salt marshes at the southern approach (which subjects Delaware Route 9 to periodic tidal flooding), the canal itself, and both Fort Dupont and the Governor Bacon Health Center. An obsolete double-leaf bascule drawbridge, located just less than ⅛ of a mile north of the northern abutment, allows Delaware Route 9 to cross over the Delaware Ship Channel (itself an abandoned section of the original C&D Canal) and is technically part of the Reedy Point Bridge system. Both the high-level bridge and the drawbridge are maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Delaware Route 9
Delaware Route 9 is a state highway that connects with Delaware Route 1 at the Dover Air Force Base to Interstate 95 in the City of Wilmington. Much like their U.S...
across the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal in Delaware City, Delaware
Delaware City, Delaware
Delaware City is a city in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The population was 1,695 at the 2010 census. It is a small port town on the eastern terminus of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and is the location of the ferry to Fort Delaware on Pea Patch Island.-Geography:Delaware City is...
, USA. A two-lane cantilever bridge
Cantilever bridge
A cantilever bridge is a bridge built using cantilevers, structures that project horizontally into space, supported on only one end. For small footbridges, the cantilevers may be simple beams; however, large cantilever bridges designed to handle road or rail traffic use trusses built from...
similar in appearance to the Platt Bridge
George C. Platt Bridge
The George C. Platt Memorial Bridge is a through truss bridge that carries PA 291 over the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was opened to traffic in 1951, replacing a swing bridge to the south which carried Penrose Ferry Road across the river...
in Southwest Philadelphia
Southwest Philadelphia
Southwest Philadelphia is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The section can be described as extending from the western side of the Schuylkill River to the city line, with the SEPTA Media/Elwyn Line serving as the northern border...
(near Philadelphia International Airport
Philadelphia International Airport
Philadelphia International Airport is a major airport in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, and is the largest airport in the Delaware Valley region and in Pennsylvania...
), the Reedy Point Bridge was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and opened in 1968, replacing a lift bridge
Lift bridge
A vertical-lift bridge or lift bridge is a type of movable bridge in which a span rises vertically while remaining parallel with the deck....
that crossed the C&D Canal prior to the 1955 widening project. Unlike the nearby St. Georges Bridge
St. Georges Bridge (Delaware)
The St. Georges Bridge is a steel truss bridge with a tied arch span that carries U.S. Route 13 across the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal in St. Georges, Delaware. Built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and opened in 1942 as a high-level crossing, the bridge was the first four-lane, high-level...
, the Reedy Point Bridge spans over salt marshes at the southern approach (which subjects Delaware Route 9 to periodic tidal flooding), the canal itself, and both Fort Dupont and the Governor Bacon Health Center. An obsolete double-leaf bascule drawbridge, located just less than ⅛ of a mile north of the northern abutment, allows Delaware Route 9 to cross over the Delaware Ship Channel (itself an abandoned section of the original C&D Canal) and is technically part of the Reedy Point Bridge system. Both the high-level bridge and the drawbridge are maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
See also
- List of crossings of the Cheasapeake & Delaware Canal
External links
- http://portal.delaware.gov/pano_rpb/default.shtml 360° Panoramic View - Reedy Point Bridge