Chestnut Street Bridge (Philadelphia)

The Chestnut Street Bridge is a bridge across the Schuylkill River that carries Chestnut Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The original 1861 bridge was "a bridge whose scale and use of cast iron made it singular in the United States and throughout the world".[1] The 1957 bridge, now one way, helps connect West Philadelphia with the rest of the city.

Chestnut Street Bridge
Chestnut Street Bridge across the Schuylkill River, looking east, in 2017
Coordinates39°57′11″N 75°10′52″W
CarriesChestnut Street
CrossesSchuylkill River
Schuylkill Expressway
ID number670003009022930
Characteristics
DesignSteel continuous, Girder and Floorbeam System
Total length113.1 metres (371 ft)
Width13.5 metres (44 ft) (roadway)
Load limit65.7 t (72.4 short tons)
Clearance below8.2 metres (27 ft)
History
Opened1957
Statistics
Daily traffic16109 (2006)
Location

History

Construction of the first Chestnut Street Bridge, designed by Strickland Kneass,[2] started on 4 September 1861.[3][4] That bridge cost $500,000, was 1,528 feet (466 m) long, and was constructed of cast iron, with approaches and piers of granite.[3] When the bridge formally opened on 23 June 1866,[5] it was the second connection between Center City, Philadelphia and West Philadelphia, after the Market Street Bridge.[2]

In 1957, to make way for the Schuylkill Expressway, the western pier of the bridge was removed, and the main spans of the bridge were replaced.[1]

In 2011, a weight restriction was placed on it due to its age.

In August 2019, the bridge was closed to vehicles and pedestrians for one year to repair the steel superstructure and replace the deck, but has been extended due to COVID-19 until March 19, 2022.[6][7]

  • Chestnut Street Bridge 1869
    Chestnut Street Bridge 1869
  • Stereo image pair of the Chestnut Street Bridge c. 1865-1907
    Stereo image pair of the Chestnut Street Bridge c. 1865-1907

In film
  • In the 2007 film Shooter, FBI agent Nick Memphis (played by Michael Peña) is abducted while walking across the Chestnut Street Bridge.
  • One episode of Hack was filmed on the bridge.[8]

See also

References
  1. "Creativity in Cast Iron: Strickland Kneass's Chestnut Street Bridge". Archived from the original on 2008-05-03. Retrieved 2008-03-14.
  2. "WEST PHILADELPHIA - "THE GENESIS OF 'THE CITY ACROSS THE RIVER'"". Archived from the original on 2019-11-17. Retrieved 2006-10-01.
  3. "A Tour of Philadelphia's Waterfront in 1876". Retrieved 2006-10-01.
  4. "Civil War History in Philadelphia, PA". Retrieved 2008-03-14.
  5. "Philadelphia Timeline, 1866". Retrieved 2006-10-01.
  6. Michael Tanebaum (30 July 2019). "Chestnut Street Bridge in Center City to close for year of construction". PhillyVoice. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  7. "Chestnut Street Bridge Will Reopen Saturday Night After 2 Years Of Construction". CBS3. 2022-03-18.
  8. "Jim Loftus: Getting The Hack of "Hack"". Archived from the original on 2003-10-02. Retrieved 2009-10-19.
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