When
you think of Philadelphia architecture, most people will probably think of city
hall, the art museum, or any of the skyscrapers that are most noticeable from
far away first. The sports complex is another big landmark for people of this
historical American city. But a part of this city’s architecture that is
overlooked and underappreciated would be the bridges. Bridges are a very
important structure on this planet that millions of people rely on to get from
one place to another. Everyone knows the Golden Gate Bridge in California
because of it being known as one of the largest and most beautiful bridges in
the world. But for the people living in and around the Delaware Valley, the
bridges of the Delaware River Port Authority are unsung heroes. Their contribution
to car travel which connects the 5th largest city in the United States
to the state of New Jersey is crucial to the area’s commute across the Delaware
River. I feel that these bridges need to be glorified as very important pieces
to the city. The bridges get people into the city for work and gets people out
of the city to the Jersey shore. All of the bridges currently owned by the DRPA
should be decorated with lights just like the Ben Franklin Bridge is now. Decorating
these bridges will look better for the city and for the sights along the Delaware
River in Philadelphia.
The Benjamin Franklin Bridge is the
first bridge built over the river in Philadelphia. Opened in 1926, it was known
as one of the largest suspension bridges in the world (now 57th).
The bridge was originally named the Delaware River Bridge since it was the only
one crossing the river in Philly at the time. It was built by famous engineer
Ralph Modjeski and designed by Paul Philippe Cret. The bridge connects Camden,
New Jersey to Philadelphia and carries over 100,000 cars daily. The Ben
Franklin Bridge today is the largest bridge in the city as well as the nicest.
It is the only bridge to have a decorative lighting system that they use to
help celebrate events such as holidays or to represent the Philly sports teams.
The bridge also includes a walkway and the PATCO train line which are also very
popular ways to get across the river. This bridge is the only one in the city
that is seen in movies. Some notable movies are Philadelphia and Rocky. The bridge is also seen in the opening credits
of the hit television show Its Always
Sunny in Philadelphia. It would be safe to say that the bridge is glorified
as a background in most appearances in cinema.
Ben Franklin Bridge
The Walt Whitman Bridge was opened
in 1957 and connects South Philadelphia to Gloucester, New Jersey. The bridge was
built by Othmar Ammann and designed by Herb Rothman. I find this bridge dull
but with a lot of potential. The city could easily emulate the Ben Franklin
Bridge with a lighting system to enhance the look of the Walt Whitman. It has
seven lanes just like the Ben Franklin but this bridge is longer in length from
abutment to abutment at almost 12,000 feet. (Ben Franklin’s length is about 7,500
feet). There are no films that used the Walt Whitman Bridge for any major
purpose but with a bit of a makeover it could attract as much as the Ben
Franklin does.
Walt Whitman Bridge
The Betsy Ross Bridge opened in 1976
and was the second bridge in the United States to be named after a woman. The
bridge connects Philadelphia to Pennsauken, New Jersey and I give this bridge
the honors of the ugliest bridge owned by the DRPA. The bridge is parallel to
the Delair Bridge which is a train bridge owned by Conrail. It was decided to
name it in honor of Betsy Ross, who is famous for creating the American flag. This
is another bridge that is old looking but has potential to look beautiful. The
Betsy Ross was built by the DRPA and has a total length of almost 8,500 feet
and has eight lanes. The bridge can be seen in the movie Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen as a background picture.
Betsy Ross Bridge
The bridges crossing the Delaware
River in Philadelphia should be glorified pieces of modern architecture. The
Ben Franklin already is glorified in my opinion because of the attention that
it receives in television and cinema. The other two bridges have the potential
to be just as nice as the Ben Franklin with makeovers with something as simple
as a lighting system. The bridges should be symbols of the city and to New
Jersey as the local connection that they have together. Not just a symbol that
the Delaware River is a dividing line between the two states but a symbol of
unity. One way goes into the big city and one way goes to the rural farms and
beaches. Including the Commodore Barry in Chester and the Delaware Memorial in
Wilmington, these bridges are a symbol of the direct getaway to whichever destination
you look forward to. The bridges connect two different environments to help
link together one area known as the greater Delaware Valley.
