Commodore Barry Bridge
The Commodore Barry Bridge is a cantilever bridge that spans the Delaware River from Chester, Pennsylvania to Bridgeport, New Jersey. It is named after the American Revolutionary War hero and Philadelphia resident, John Barry.
Construction of the bridge began on April 14, 1969, and it opened to traffic on February 1, 1974. It has a total length of 13,912 feet (4,240 meters), and a main span of 1,644 feet (501 meters). The road has a total of five lanes, divided by a "zipper" barrier, in which a machine can configure the number of lanes in each direction, depending upon traffic volume or construction. The bridge is designated as part of U.S. Highway 322 and has direct connections with U.S. Highway 13 and Interstate 95 in Chester and U.S. Highway 130 in Bridgeport. It replaced an earlier ferry service which ceased operation on January 31, 1974.
Along with the Betsy Ross Bridge, the Benjamin Franklin Bridge and the Walt Whitman Bridge, the Commodore Barry Bridge is one of the four toll bridges connecting the metro Philadelphia region with southern New Jersey owned by the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA). Both the DRPA and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation are in the process of building two new exit ramps that will allow motorists to access the Chester Waterfront (via Pennsylvania State Route 291) from I-95.