Betsy Ross Bridge, Continuous truss toll bridge in Philadelphia, United States
The Betsy Ross Bridge is a toll crossing with a continuous truss design that spans the Delaware River for 2586 meters, linking Philadelphia in Pennsylvania to Pennsauken in New Jersey. It carries six lanes of traffic across the water and serves as part of Route 90, handling vehicles moving between the two states.
Construction of this crossing began in 1969 and opened to traffic in the spring of 1976, timed to coincide with the bicentennial of American independence. It emerged during a period when several new river crossings between Pennsylvania and New Jersey were planned to meet growing traffic demand.
This crossing carries the name of Betsy Ross, a Philadelphia woman credited with sewing the first American flag. It became the first automotive bridge in the United States named after a woman, marking a recognition of her historical role.
Vehicles heading westbound into Pennsylvania pay a toll, while traffic moving toward New Jersey crosses without charge. The span remains open around the clock for all vehicle types, with electronic payment systems speeding passage through toll collection points.
During construction, headstones from the closed Monument Cemetery were used as riprap to stabilize the shoreline foundations. These historical relics from a graveyard that operated from 1837 until the 1950s became part of the infrastructure supporting the crossing.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
