Walnut Street Bridge (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Walnut Street Bridge |
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The People's Bridge. The view facing City Island.
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| Coordinates | 40°15′27″N 76°53′10″W / 40.2575°N 76.886°W |
| Carries | Pedestrians |
| Crosses | Susquehanna River |
| Locale | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania |
| Other name(s) | The People's Bridge "Old Shakey" |
| Maintained by | PennDOT |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Wrought iron truss bridge |
| Total length | 2,801 feet (854 m) |
| Longest span | 240 feet (73 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | 1890 |
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Pennsylvania Historical Marker
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| Designated: | N/A |
The Walnut Street Bridge, also known as The People's Bridge, is a special kind of bridge. It used to cross the Susquehanna River in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1890 by the Phoenix Bridge Company. This bridge is the oldest one still standing that connects downtown Harrisburg and Riverfront Park to City Island.
But in 1996, a big flood damaged part of the bridge. Now, it doesn't reach the West Shore anymore. Because it's so old and important, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
Bridge History
The Walnut Street Bridge was built to offer a choice to people. Before it, another bridge, the Camelback Bridge (now the Market Street Bridge), charged a fee to cross. The new Walnut Street Bridge helped break that "toll monopoly," meaning people had another way to cross without paying.
After a big flood called Hurricane Agnes in 1972, the Walnut Street Bridge was changed. Cars were no longer allowed on it. Instead, it became a bridge just for people walking and biking to City Island.
The eastern part of the bridge is lit up with lights at night. This makes it look really cool, especially with the lights on City Island. This bridge is about 2,801-foot (854 m) long. It is one of the longest bridges in the world made just for walkers and bikers. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. It is also known as a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, which means it's a very important example of bridge building.
The 1996 Collapse
In January 1996, there was a huge flood because of a big snowstorm. The water in the river rose very high. Also, a large piece of ice, called an ice floe, floated down the river. This ice floe hit the Walnut Street Bridge.
The high water and the ice lifted two parts of the bridge off their foundations. These parts then floated down the river. Another part of the bridge was damaged and also fell into the river later. This dramatic event was filmed by someone named Teresa Irvin McCurdy. Her video was even shown on national news!
After the bridge collapsed, a group called the People's Bridge Coalition was formed. They wanted to help get the bridge fixed. Many people in the early 2000s wanted the damaged parts of the bridge to be rebuilt.
Soon after the 1996 collapse, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation hired a company to check the remaining parts of the bridge. They wanted to make sure it wouldn't collapse again. Later, about $5 million was spent to fix up the eastern part of the bridge.
Images for kids
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Western span of the Walnut Street Bridge in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania after it collapsed during the 1996 flood.
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Pedestrians on the Walnut Street Bridge.
