Philly Bridges

Benjamin Franklin Bridge (Completed 1926). Chief Engineer: Ralph Modjeski. Design Architect: Leon Moisseiff. Supervising Architect: Paul Philippe Cret

When asked to name famous Philadelphia architecture or structures, what would most people say? The Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Comcast Center, The Benjamin Franklin Parkway etc. What about the bridges? The great bridges that were at one time a big deal seem to have been forgotten. When asked to name famous architecture in San Francisco most people will automatically think of the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s internationally known and people see it as a famous icon. Look, it even has its very own website. The Benjamin Franklin Bridge, The Betsy Ross Bridge, and the Walt Whitman need to get some recognition. Take a moment to realize how much they impacted the city of Philadelphia.

Betsy Ross Bridge (Completed 1974). Designer: Delaware River Port Authority

Cities were formed around water, and Philadelphia was no different. By the late 1880’s the Delaware and Schuykill River were eventually full of ferries, transporting people and goods to other areas efficiently, but pretty soon, not efficiently enough. High traffic in the ports caused the city to plan the building of bridges to make things easier. With the industrial revolution in full swing and the invention of the production line, everyone had cars too. In 1926, the Benjamin Franklin Bridge finally opened allowing people to quickly get from Old City Philadelphia to Camden, New Jersey. “The bridge was said to be “worthy of admiration most of all as an embodiment of modern engineering skill”(Petroski).

It seems that in 2013, most people just take the bridge for granted and forget just how much it changed the city forever.

The Walt Whitman Bridge goes from Philly to Gloucester City, New Jersey and opened in 1957. The Betsy Ross Bridge goes from Pennsauken to New Jersey.  Suddenly lanes of traffic were flooding back and forth from each state, an innovation for transportation. Well over 100,000 travelers use these bridges each day alone (DRPA) At one time these bridges were new architectural inventions, but now seem to be overlooked. Not only do bridges link two places together, they link two time periods together.

The early 1900’s were a time about industry, urbanization, and consumerism. Modernity was at its peak. Everything was fast and chaotic. The assembly line came about and suddenly everyone had cars. There was also an increase in signs, advertisements, and billboards. Bridges were a way to keep up with this fast moving culture. They got people long distances in a short amount of time.  Most billboards and ads can be seen along highway that leads to and from bridges. “Modernity implied a phenomenal world-a specifically urban one-that was markedly quicker, more chaotic, fragmented, and disorienting than in previous phases of human culture”(Singer). More people lived in cities, which meant more cars, which meant more traffic. Without the construction of bridges, people would not have been able to get around as easily.

Walt Whitman Bridge (Completed 1957). Designer: Othmar Ammann

Bridges were being contracted all over the country in every city. Certain ones became more famous than others. For instance the iconic Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco is a tourist attraction. It even has its own distinct orange color. People even buy the paint to use in their own homes. It is a lifestyle. The famous bridge has been in countless films too. One film in particular, X-Men The Last Stand, shows the bridge being destroyed and used to help the villain fulfill his evil scheme. The bridge was picked because showing a famous icon getting destroyed resonates with the viewer. It’s a symbol everyone likes and it helps add to the drama of the film. The Philadelphia bridges have not been in many major motion pictures. This is because they are not as well known. It is a shame because they have the exact same purpose and were just as revolutionary as any other bridge.

The Golden Gate Bridge has been a major symbol in many films

Check out the  similarities and differences. Brooklyn Bridge 1889(top). Benjamin Franklin Bridge (2010)

The Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan is another well-known bridge. When film was just coming out, Thomas Edison filmed the trip across the bridge.  Documenting everyday life was new and what people wanted to see. It’s not the most exciting film, but it shows a glimpse back to a time society was making a huge cultural shift.

I chose to glorify the Betsy Ross Bridge, The Walt Whitman Bridge, and The Benjamin Franklin Bridge because I’ve seen and driven over them my whole life and never took a moment to appreciate their purpose. City life would not be the same if bridges were never constructed. I’ve taken the ferry to Camden once and it took an hour. Driving over the bridge takes a matter of minutes. Modern society is used to everything moving at a quick pace when only a century ago, things were a whole lot different. In order to glorify the Philadelphia bridges, work should be done to make them stand out. The Ben Franklin Bridge does indeed have blinking colorful lights, which is a start. Let’s take that to the next level and make Philadelphia architecture the go to back drop for all major motion pictures.

Works Cited
"Delaware River Port Authority - 80 Years of Progress." DRPA. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2013.<http://www.drpa.org/>
Petroski, Henry. "Engineering: Benjamin Franklin Bridge." JSTOR. JSTOR, Sept.-Oct. 2002. Web. 29 Apr. 2013. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/27857716>.
Singer, Ben. Modernity, Hyperstimulus, and the Rise of Popular Sensationalism. Los Angeles: University of Califomia, 1995. Print.