Wissahickon Memorial Bridge

Wissahickon Memorial Bridge

The Wissahickon Memorial Bridge (NBI #39033) began serving the people of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1932.  This bridge is a member of The U.S. National Register of Historic Places and The Philadelphia Register of Historic Places.  This historic bridge is a four lane continuation of Henry Avenue that crosses over Lincoln Drive, Fairmount Park, and The Wissahickon Creek.  Originally, the bridge was known as The Henry Avenue Bridge, but was changed after World War One in dedication to the citizens of Northwest Philadelphia who served and lost their lives in the war.  The Wissahickon Memorial Bridge is a single, open arched bridge that underwent planning in 1917, but did not begin construction until 1930.  After two year of construction under the supervision of world renowned chief architect Paul Philippe Cret in addition to chief engineers Ralph Modjeski and Clement E. Chase, the bridge open to highway and civilian usage.  At the time, the bridge cost around $1,650,000, which equals around $27,000,000 when adjusting to today’s inflation.  

The design of the bridge is best described as a single open arch design that is primarily made out of both stone and reinforced concreted.  The primary bridge deck covers a 288 ft. gap across the park, creek, and road below.  The deck is 60 ft. wide, making the total deck area to equal around 17,200 sq. ft.  The Wissahickon Memorial Bridge has become an integral part in the local traffic that uses this structure every day.  The ADT (average daily traffic) of the bridge averages between 24,000 to 27,000 vehicles per day.  Of those 24,000 to 27,000 daily vehicles, 7% are trucks.  With a detour length of 3.5 miles, The Wissahickon Memorial Bridge has become an important asset for those trying to cross over Fairmont Park and The Wissahickon Creek.  The bridge has many interesting features including an area under the main deck that was designed to accommodate a lower deck for subway cars to travel over the road and creek below.  This feature was never fully developed and the bridge does not transport subway cars.  

Over its near 100 year history, the bridge has been owned and maintain by the PA State Highway Agency which has done multiple restoration projects repairing the deck, piers, pier foundations, columns, and arch ribs.  Repairs and maintenance have been difficult due to the creek and road under it in addition to the height of the bridge over the ground below.  The most recent renovation occurred in 2011 in which the deck was repaved and fillients were removed and replaced.  This project cost $2,375,500 which went way over the original budget of $1,770,000.  State inspections in 2015 revealed that the deck, superstructure, and substructure condition ratings all received “fair or satisfactory condition” rating.  

Although The Wissahickon Memorial Bridge is a beautiful and useful structure for the people of Philadelphia, it has a dark and unfortunate history.  The bridge has been labeled as a “suicide bridge” since shortly after its opening in 1932 due to its constant use as a means of death.  These tragedies have been decreased and minimized by a constantly police watch especially at night to prevent further suicides from occurring.  The Wissahickon Memorial Bridge is currently open for both highway and pedestrian use and will continue to serve the people of Philadelphia for years to come.