Pennsylvania Railroad, Connecting Railway Bridge

The Pennsylvania Railroad Connecting Railway Bridge crosses the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia with five parallel tracks supported by stone arches. The structure carries trains between major Northeast cities and remains an important rail crossing in the region.

The bridge was designed by John A. Wilson and opened in 1867 with a central iron truss structure. Between 1912 and 1915, engineers replaced the central iron span with stone arches and expanded the bridge to five tracks.

The structure has drawn attention from artists over the years, appearing in paintings and photographs that document the landscape of the Schuylkill River.

The best views of the bridge come from along the Schuylkill River banks or nearby crossings where you can see the arches clearly. Visitors should note that the bridge remains an active rail line and is not open to foot traffic.

During its reconstruction between 1912 and 1915, workers managed to strengthen and expand the bridge while trains continued to cross it regularly. This simultaneous reconstruction and operation was a remarkable engineering feat for its time.