Summit Bridge, Cantilever bridge in New Castle County, Delaware
Summit Bridge is a cantilever bridge that crosses the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, connecting Delaware Routes 71 and 896. The structure was designed to provide a key transportation link over the waterway while accommodating vehicles and cyclists.
The bridge opened in 1960 as a replacement for an earlier lift bridge at the site. This new structure resolved a long-standing transportation bottleneck in the region.
The dedication ceremony of Summit Bridge included U.S. Senator J. Allen Frear Jr., marking its importance as a regional transportation connection.
The bridge rises high enough above the water to allow deep-draft vessels to pass without interrupting traffic on the roadway above. Visitors can view and photograph the structure from nearby vantage points along the canal.
The bridge served as part of US Route 301 from 1961 until 2019, when traffic redirected to a new toll freeway.
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