South Market Street Bridge (Wilmington)
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| Official name | Senator John E. Reilly, Sr. Bridge |
|---|---|
| Carries | 3 lanes of Business U.S. Route 13 South |
| Crosses | Christina River |
| Locale | Wilmington, Delaware |
| Maintained by | DelDOT |
| Design | double-leaf "trunnion style" bascule |
| Longest span | 208 feet |
| Opening date | 1927 (replaced 1883 bridge) |
| Coordinates |
The South Market Street Bridge, officially the Senator John E. Reilly, Sr. Bridge, is a bascule bridge that spans the Christina River in Wilmington, Delaware.
The bridge was opened in 1927. It's construction was administered by the then State Highway Department (predicessor of the Delaware Department of Transporation), and was built to replace the swing span that was built in 1883 to replace the wooden turn bridge built in 1808. The span is one of only three pre-1957 drawbridges of its type in Delaware.
In 1982, the bridge was named after Wilmington state Senator John Edward Reilly Sr., a gravel-voiced cigar smoker known for his warmth and wit, died of cancer Feb. 26, 1963. The current bridge is the last of many bridges that have spanned the Christina at this location since 1808 when the first wooden turn bridge was constructed.
The bridge under went a major rehabilitation in 2004-2006 to replace and upgrade the existing machinery and improve lighting, pedestrian walkways, and the operator towers.
[edit] External links
| Crossings of the Christina River | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Upstream Norfolk Southern bridge |
South Market Street Bridge   |
Downstream Walnut Street Bridge  |
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