Walt Whitman Bridge

Walt Whitman Bridge stretches 3,651 meters (roughly 12,000 feet) across the Delaware River and rises 45 meters (about 148 feet) above the water. Its main span measures 609 meters (1,998 feet) and hangs freely over the channel, supported by steel towers on either shore.

Construction began in 1953 under the Delaware River Port Authority and finished four years later, opening this route in 1957. Engineers followed design principles common to long-span crossings of that period, adapting methods used elsewhere during the same decade.

Named after the poet who spent his final years in Camden and wrote often about the river, this crossing links two states he knew well. Drivers heading toward Pennsylvania pass over the waterway he watched from his window during the 1880s.

Seven lanes of Interstate 76 cross the river here, and tolls are collected only for eastbound traffic entering New Jersey. Electronic payment systems speed up passage through the collection points, and signs on the approach guide drivers toward the next exit.

Each main cable holds thousands of individual wires bundled together, reaching a diameter of 76 centimeters (30 inches) and containing enough material to wrap around the Earth at the equator. Engineers spun these wires on site rather than lifting prefabricated cables into place.

Location: Philadelphia

Location: New Jersey

Inception: 1957

Official opening: May 16, 1957

Height: 45 m

Length: 3,651.81 m

Longest Span: 609 m

Made from material: steel

GPS coordinates: 39.90528,-75.12972

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:24