1953: With the Snip of a Ribbon, the Delaware Water Gap Toll Bridge is Opened to Traffic

December 16, 1953

At the Delaware Water Gap – a section where the Delaware River slices through a major ridge of the Appalachian Mountains – a toll bridge connecting New Jersey with Pennsylvania was formally opened to traffic.

New Jersey Governor Alfred E. Driscoll (1947-1954) was among the public officials on hand for the Wednesday dedication of the Delaware Water Gap Toll Bridge. Pennsylvania Governor John S. Fine (1893-1978) also attended the event, even though he stayed in his limousine throughout most of the festivities due to the cold weather.

Both men did make their way to the midway point of the Delaware Water Gap Toll Bridge to jointly snip a ceremonial ribbon there to open the new structure. In his remarks for the occasion, Driscoll highlighted the bridge as a symbol “of another tie that binds Pennsylvania and New Jersey.” The other public officials at the dedication included Ransford J. Abbott (1898-1956), commissioner of the New Jersey State Highway Department; and Edward L. Schmidt (1885-1977), secretary of highways in Pennsylvania.

Measuring 2,465 feet (751 meters) in length, the bridge carries Interstate 80 across that portion of the Delaware River. The Delaware Water Gap Toll Bridge also contains a pedestrian walkway that serves as a link between sections of the Appalachian Trails in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania. This bridge is maintained and operated by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, a bistate public agency.

Photo Credit: Jag9889 (licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en)

Additional information on crossings of the Delaware River is available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_crossings_of_the_Delaware_River