Delair Bridge, Steel railway bridge in Philadelphia, US.
Delair Bridge is a steel railway truss bridge that crosses the Delaware River, linking Philadelphia with Pennsauken Township in New Jersey. It has two fixed steel spans on either side and a vertical lift section at the center that can rise to let river traffic pass below.
The bridge was built in 1896 by the Pennsylvania Railroad as the first railroad crossing over the Delaware River between Philadelphia and New Jersey. The original middle span was replaced in 1958 with a vertical lift section designed to handle the needs of river navigation.
The bridge crosses a stretch of the Delaware River that has long been shaped by industry and rail traffic, and it remains in daily use by freight and passenger trains. From the riverbank, visitors can sometimes watch the center span rise to let a boat pass through.
The bridge is not open to pedestrians and can only be accessed by rail. Good viewing spots along the Delaware riverbank or from nearby road bridges give a clear look at the full structure.
When the center span was replaced in 1958, it was installed as a single prefabricated unit rather than being assembled piece by piece on site. This method meant that both river traffic and rail service could continue with very little interruption during the work.
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