Market Street Bridge (Susquehanna River) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Market Street Bridge |
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HAER photo of the Market Street Bridge
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| Coordinates | 40°15′24″N 76°53′5″W / 40.25667°N 76.88472°W |
| Carries | Market Street and  BicyclePA Route J |
| Crosses | Susquehanna River |
| Locale | Cumberland, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Maintained by | PennDOT |
| NBI Number | 223012003000000 |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | U.S. National Register of Historic Places |
| Total length | 1,415 ft (431 m) |
| Width | 59 ft (18 m) |
| Load limit | 49 metric tons (54 short tons) |
| History | |
| Designer | Modjeski & Masters, Paul Philippe Cret |
| MPS | Highway Bridges Owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Transportation TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 88000759 |
| Added to NRHP | June 22, 1988 |
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The Market Street Bridge is a cool stone bridge that goes over the Susquehanna River. It connects Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Wormleysburg, Pennsylvania. This bridge is actually the third one built in this exact spot! It's also the second oldest bridge still standing in Harrisburg. You can even ride your bike across it on BicyclePA Route J. This important bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
Building the Market Street Bridge
The very first bridge to cross the Susquehanna River here was called the Camelback Bridge. A person named Theodore Burr designed it. Construction began in 1814, and it opened as a toll bridge in 1820. This meant people had to pay to cross it.
The Camelback Bridge was the only bridge in the area for a long time. Then, the Walnut Street Bridge was built in 1890.
Floods and Rebuilding
In 1902, a big flood sadly destroyed the Camelback Bridge. A few years later, in 1905, a new two-lane bridge was built in the same spot.
The bridge you see today is the result of that 1905 bridge being made wider in 1926. Some of the stone columns at the Harrisburg entrance to the bridge are very old. They were saved from the old State Capitol building, which burned down in 1897.
Images for kids
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Postcard of the bridge circa 1930-1945
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