Chesapeake City Bridge
The Chesapeake City Bridge carries Maryland Route 213 across the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal in Chesapeake City, Maryland. There are two undivided traffic lanes and one sidewalk on the east side of the bridge. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began construction on the bridge in 1948 and it was opened to traffic in 1949.[2] An older vertical lift drawbridge was destroyed on July 28, 1942, after being struck by the tanker Franz Klasen.[3] The bridge is identical in appearance to the old St. Georges Bridge in Delaware (they were constructed roughly at the same time) except for the number of lanes.
Chesapeake City Bridge[1] | |
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| Coordinates | 39.529053°N 75.813920°W |
| Carries | 2 lanes of  MD 213 |
| Crosses | Chesapeake & Delaware Canal |
| Locale | Chesapeake City, Maryland |
| Maintained by | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | tied arch bridge |
| Total length | 3,955 ft |
| Width | 29 ft |
| Longest span | 540 ft |
| Clearance above | 18.5 ft |
| Clearance below | 140 ft |
| History | |
| Opened | 1949 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 14,350 |
| Location | |
Vertical lift span
The Chesapeake City vertical lift span was constructed between 1924 and 1928. The bridge carried U.S. Route 213, connecting George Street on the south side of the canal with Lock Street on the north. Following the destruction of the bridge,[4] the new high-level bridge was constructed approximately 500 feet (152 m) to the west. U.S. Route 213 was diverted to the new bridge, while the surface streets leading to the former bridge site were resigned as Maryland Route 537. This lift bridge itself was a replacement of an earlier wooden swing bridge. The replacement was necessitated by the expansion of the canal in the 1920s.[1]
See also
References
- "Chesapeake City Bridge". Bridges and Tunnels. Retrieved 2023-06-18.
- "Army Corps updates status on Chesapeake City Bridge closures". Philadelphia District & Marine Design Center. USACE PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
- The Chesapeake & Delaware Canal. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 1974. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
- “Ship Wrecks Bridge, Blocking Off Canal at Chesapeake City.” Morning News [Wilmington], 29 Jul. 1942, p. 1-11.
Further reading
- The Day the Ship Knocked the Bridge Down: Where Were You? by Robert Hazel, Rare Harmony Publishing.
Bridges of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal | ||||
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