West Trenton Railroad Bridge

West Trenton Railroad Bridge is a concrete railway bridge spanning the Delaware River and connecting Lower Makefield Township in Pennsylvania with Ewing Township in New Jersey. The structure is supported by fourteen arches and continues to carry freight and passenger trains today.

An earlier iron truss structure from 1875 was replaced in the early 1900s with this concrete arch design to meet growing rail traffic demands. The Philadelphia and Reading Railroad commissioned this new bridge in 1911, marking a shift toward modern construction methods.

The bridge reflects how rail transport shaped regional connections between the two states and enabled the flow of people and goods. Its presence in the landscape testifies to the importance of this crossing in the area's economic life.

The bridge is primarily for rail traffic and is not open to pedestrians or vehicles. Visitors can view and photograph the structure from the Delaware River banks or nearby roads.

The structure was built using concrete techniques that were relatively innovative for the time and represented an advanced approach to railway infrastructure. This method allowed for a more durable and lower-maintenance design compared to the previous iron structure.

Location: Pennsylvania

Official opening: 1913

GPS coordinates: 40.24170,-74.82410

Latest update: December 13, 2025 17:10