Walt Whitman Bridge
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The Walt Whitman Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Delaware River from Philadelphia to Gloucester City, New Jersey. Named after the poet Walt Whitman, who resided in nearby Camden toward the end of his life, the Walt Whitman Bridge is one of the larger bridges on the east coast of the United States.
Construction on the bridge began in 1953, and it opened to traffic on May 16, 1957. The bridge has a total length of 11,981 feet (3,651 meters), and a main span of 2,000 feet (610 meters). The bridge has seven lanes, three in each direction and a center lane that is shifted variably (via a zipper barrier) to accommodate heavy traffic.
The bridge is a part of Interstate 76. Along with the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, Betsy Ross Bridge and Commodore Barry Bridge, the Walt Whitman Bridge is one of four freeway-standard bridges connecting the Philadelphia area with southern New Jersey.
The bridge is owned and operated by the Delaware River Port Authority