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Lower Trenton Bridge

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The south side of the bridge

The Lower Trenton Toll Supported Bridge, commonly called the Lower Free Bridge, Warren Street Bridge or Trenton Makes Bridge, is a two-lane through truss bridge over the Delaware River between Trenton, New Jersey and Morrisville, Pennsylvania, owned by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. It is known as the Trenton Makes Bridge because of large lettering on the south side reading "TRENTON MAKES THE WORLD TAKES", installed in 1935.

History

The bridge was originally a toll bridge operated by the Trenton Delaware Bridge Company. It opened on January 30, 1806, and was the first bridge across the Delaware.

In 1835 the Camden and Amboy Rail Road bought the bridge and the competing Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad to end the rivalry and the attempts by the P&T to put tracks over the bridge. The extension over the bridge was built soon after, and it was later connected to the C&A. Later a new alignment was built for the railroad, crossing the river on the Morrisville-Trenton Railroad Bridge.

On March 31, 1918 the bridge, then owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad, was sold to the states and tolls were removed. The company was dissolved September 15, 1919 in New Jersey and June 9, 1920 in Pennsylvania. With the removal of tolls, the Lincoln Highway was moved to the bridge from the tolled Calhoun Street Bridge in 1920. The bridge was then designated US 1 in 1927; it was replaced by the current bridge in 1928. In 1952 US 1 was moved to the new Trenton-Morrisville Toll Bridge, and for a time the old bridge was designated Alternate US 1. It is now marked as Business US 1, but only on the New Jersey side.

The "TRENTON MAKES THE WORLD TAKES" sign south side of the bridge was installed in 1935 and first replaced in 1981. In 2005, the sign was replaced with one featuring light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and now has the ability to flash as well as change colors.

Trivia

The "TRENTON MAKES THE WORLD TAKES" sign is seen in the opening credits to the Fox television show House. [1]

References

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