Open and Shut : The Burlington Bristol Bridge

The Bridge in normal position, obscured by the trees

Bridge opening

Bridge open

    I went to the Delaware River in Bristol in early April, and got some pictures of the Burlington Bristol Bridge.  Unlike the previous times I saw the bridge opening, I remembered to bring my camera and took pictures of the bridge in the open and closed positions.  At the time I took these pictures, it was just short of its 80^th anniversary.   It’s not my favorite bridge to drive over, but it was built in a different day and age, for different cars that drove on narrower roads. 

  I usually drive over it twice a year, coming to and from Long Beach Island.   It’s kind of a gateway to the Jersey Shore for me.  The road going to the bridge veers outside of the town of Bristol, and through a wooded area on property that is now owned by Dow Chemical.  From time to time, Dow will fill Bristol and the area around it with the smell of melting plastic.  Some of the area the road goes through may also be owned by Coyne Chemical.  I don’t know if the riverfront property right at the bridge is public or owned by one of the chemical companies it borders. 

  The bridge clears the way for passing ships by a vertical lift, rather than opening up in halves.  The main span moves up along the twin towers until it reaches the top, and then lowers back down.    I have never been driving on or near the bridge when a ship came, but there is a siren alerting approaching vehicles when the bridge is opening.  I can just faintly hear it from the riverside park in town.  Also, there is an old sign at the bridge entrance with neon letters “STOP: BRIDGE OPENING”, that is probably still lit up when the time comes.

  There have been proposals to replace the bridge with a wider highway span, similar to the nearby Turnpike Bridge.   Actually, the earliest goes back to the sixties.  However, those plans all involved condemning the historic districts of both towns to make way, which did not appeal.  As of right now, I don’t know of any serious plans to replace the bridge, but since it is old, I’m guessing that ideas are being discussed.