Mid-Delaware Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Mid-Delaware
Bridge, sometimes known as the Port Jervis
-Matamoras
Bridge or the Fourth Barrett Bridge, is a continuous truss bridge
which carries U.S. Routes
6
and 209
across that river between those two communities and thus the states
of New York
and Pennsylvania
. It is the only four-lane bridge on the upper main stem of the Delaware.
The current bridge, built by R.C. Ritz Construction Company in 1939 at a cost of $380,000, is the most recent in a long history of crossings between the two communities. It began in the mid-19th century, when the local Milford and Matamoras Railroad settled a dispute with the larger, growing Erie Railroad
with the latter's assent to a law requiring that it construct a bridge across the Delaware at Matamoras that could carry both road and rail traffic. It was supposed to have been completed by 1852, but due to the railroad's unsuccessful efforts to have the law requiring the bridge declared unconstitutional it only began building it that year. It was finished in 1854.
In 1870 that bridge was destroyed in a storm. Directors of the Milford and Matamoras confronted Jay Gould
about this in New York when the Erie showed no apparent interest in immediately rebuilding it. He told them the railroad had sold its interest in the bridge to another company, which turned out to be a dummy corporation. A new railroad bridge was built upstream
Port Jervis businessmen led by Charles St. John
frustrated by the delays formed the Barrett Bridge Company to build a suspension bridge
designed by John A. Roebling
. The bridge which had two spans of 325 feet (99.1 m) opened in 1872. In March 1875 an ice dam
on the Delaware upstream broke and in the ensuing flood, it took out the newly built railroad bridge above the Barrett Bridge. The rail bridge then took out sections of the Barrett Bridge which floated 25 miles (40.2 km) downstream but were relatively undamaged. They were carted back and reassembled within a few weeks.
It lasted until its destruction in the severe flood of October 1903. A new Barrett Bridge was built shortly thereafter, using a design similar to the current bridge. In 1922 it was taken over by the new Joint Interstate Bridge Commission set up by the two states to manage their Delaware River bridges; tolls were eliminated. The toll house on the Port Jervis side still stands and has been incorporated into the popular Flo-Jean restaurant.
The Barrett Bridge was finally retired in the late 1930s due to increasing auto and truck traffic, and the present structure built. It would be the only crossing in the area until Interstate 84
was completed in the 1960s with a bridge less than a mile downstream. The Mid-Delaware has proven hardier than its predecessors, standing firm through the post-hurricane flooding
in 1955. However, it was closed during the 2006 flooding
due to the river waters overrunning its approach roads on either side.
In June 2007, the Commission approved $550,000 worth of work to be completed in 2008. The abutment
backwalls on both sides, and the pier expansion dam, will be repaired.
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
Bridge, sometimes known as the Port Jervis
Port Jervis, New York
Port Jervis is a city on the Delaware River in western Orange County, New York, with a population of 8,860 at the 2000 census. The communities of Deerpark, Huguenot, Sparrowbush, and Greenville are adjacent to Port Jervis, and the towns of Montague, New Jersey and Matamoras, Pennsylvania face the...
-Matamoras
Matamoras, Pennsylvania
Matamoras is a borough in Pike County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,469 at the 2010 census. It is the easternmost town in Pennsylvania.-History:...
Bridge or the Fourth Barrett Bridge, is a continuous truss bridge
Continuous truss bridge
A continuous truss bridge is a truss bridge which extends without hinges or joints across three or more supports. A continuous truss bridge may use less material than a series of simple trusses because a continuous truss distributes live loads across all the spans; in a series of simple trusses,...
which carries U.S. Routes
United States Numbered Highways
The system of United States Numbered Highways is an integrated system of roads and highways in the United States numbered within a nationwide grid...
6
U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 6 , also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, a name that honors an American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system, running east-northeast from Bishop, California to Provincetown, Massachusetts. Until 1964, it continued south from Bishop to...
and 209
U.S. Route 209
U.S. Route 209 is a long U.S. highway in the states of Pennsylvania and New York. Although the route is a spur of U.S. Route 9, US 209 never intersects US 9, making the connection via U.S. Route 9W instead. The southern terminus of the route is at Pennsylvania...
across that river between those two communities and thus the states
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. It is the only four-lane bridge on the upper main stem of the Delaware.
History
Erie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie...
with the latter's assent to a law requiring that it construct a bridge across the Delaware at Matamoras that could carry both road and rail traffic. It was supposed to have been completed by 1852, but due to the railroad's unsuccessful efforts to have the law requiring the bridge declared unconstitutional it only began building it that year. It was finished in 1854.
In 1870 that bridge was destroyed in a storm. Directors of the Milford and Matamoras confronted Jay Gould
Jay Gould
Jason "Jay" Gould was a leading American railroad developer and speculator. He has long been vilified as an archetypal robber baron, whose successes made him the ninth richest American in history. Condé Nast Portfolio ranked Gould as the 8th worst American CEO of all time...
about this in New York when the Erie showed no apparent interest in immediately rebuilding it. He told them the railroad had sold its interest in the bridge to another company, which turned out to be a dummy corporation. A new railroad bridge was built upstream
Port Jervis businessmen led by Charles St. John
Charles St. John
Charles St. John was a U.S. Representative from New York.Born at Mount Hope, New York, St. John attended the common schools and Goshen and Newburgh Academies....
frustrated by the delays formed the Barrett Bridge Company to build a suspension bridge
Suspension bridge
A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders. Outside Tibet and Bhutan, where the first examples of this type of bridge were built in the 15th century, this type of bridge dates from the early 19th century...
designed by John A. Roebling
John A. Roebling
John Augustus Roebling was a German-born American civil engineer. He is famous for his wire rope suspension bridge designs, in particular, the design of the Brooklyn Bridge.-Early life:...
. The bridge which had two spans of 325 feet (99.1 m) opened in 1872. In March 1875 an ice dam
Ice dam
An ice dam occurs when water builds up behind a blockage of ice. Ice dams can occur in various ways.-Caused by a glacier:Sometimes a glacier flows down a valley to a confluence where the other branch carries an unfrozen river...
on the Delaware upstream broke and in the ensuing flood, it took out the newly built railroad bridge above the Barrett Bridge. The rail bridge then took out sections of the Barrett Bridge which floated 25 miles (40.2 km) downstream but were relatively undamaged. They were carted back and reassembled within a few weeks.
It lasted until its destruction in the severe flood of October 1903. A new Barrett Bridge was built shortly thereafter, using a design similar to the current bridge. In 1922 it was taken over by the new Joint Interstate Bridge Commission set up by the two states to manage their Delaware River bridges; tolls were eliminated. The toll house on the Port Jervis side still stands and has been incorporated into the popular Flo-Jean restaurant.
The Barrett Bridge was finally retired in the late 1930s due to increasing auto and truck traffic, and the present structure built. It would be the only crossing in the area until Interstate 84
Interstate 84 (east)
Interstate 84 is an Interstate Highway extending from Dunmore, Pennsylvania at an interchange with Interstate 81 to Sturbridge, Massachusetts, at an interchange with the Massachusetts Turnpike . I-84 has mile-log junction numbering in Pennsylvania; otherwise, exit numbers are roughly sequential...
was completed in the 1960s with a bridge less than a mile downstream. The Mid-Delaware has proven hardier than its predecessors, standing firm through the post-hurricane flooding
Hurricane Diane
Hurricane Diane was one of three hurricanes to hit North Carolina during the 1955 Atlantic hurricane season, striking an area that had been hit by Hurricane Connie five days earlier...
in 1955. However, it was closed during the 2006 flooding
Mid-Atlantic United States flood of 2006
The Mid-Atlantic United States flood of 2006 was a significant flood that affected much of the Mid-Atlantic region of the eastern United States. The flooding was very widespread, affecting numerous rivers, lakes and communities from upstate New York to North Carolina. It is widely considered to be...
due to the river waters overrunning its approach roads on either side.
In June 2007, the Commission approved $550,000 worth of work to be completed in 2008. The abutment
Abutment
An abutment is, generally, the point where two structures or objects meet. This word comes from the verb abut, which means adjoin or having common boundary. An abutment is an engineering term that describes a structure located at the ends of a bridge, where the bridge slab adjoins the approaching...
backwalls on both sides, and the pier expansion dam, will be repaired.
External links
- Port Jervis/Matamoras Bridge 6/28/06 Video from Times-Herald Record New Media showing 2006 flood at its height around bridge.