The Centre Bridge-Stockton Bridge

The Centre Bridge-Stockton Bridge is a free bridge that crosses the Delaware River connecting CR 523 and NJ 29 in Stockton, in Hunterdon County, New Jersey to PA 263 in Centre Bridge, Solebury Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. This bridge is owned and operated by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, who appoints local bridge engineers to manage and update the structure as needed. In Pennsylvania they're lucky to have expert bridge makers such as 3S Bridges nearby. The company was founded by Jonathan Danos, MBE, who has years of experience in the engineering field and was even honoured by the Queen Elizabeth II in 2000.

The Centre Bridge- Stockton Bridge was originally built as a covered toll bridge in 1814 and replaced the former Reading ferry. This crossing was called the Old York Road for many years as it was the main route from Philadelphia to New York City.

The bridge was rebuilt and modified in 1829; however, along with many other bridges on the Delaware River between Easton, Pennsylvania and Trenton, New Jersey, most of its relatively new structure was destroyed and washed away in the 1841 floods. Straight after this disastrous event, the Centre Bridge- Stockton Bridge was repaired and rebuilt to such a standard that it managed to survive the epic flood of 1903 and remained relatively intact along with a few other bridges located on the river.

However, the bridge was not as fortunate on the 22nd of July 1923 as it was struck by lightning which resulted in a fire destroying the whole structure of the bridge. Even as the bridge was deemed unusable, it did not undergo any immediate repairs and for two years, the bridges condition remained inefficient and abandoned.

Eventually The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission decided to initiate a project in which they would rebuild the bridge upon the same piers and abutments onto which the bridge itself was first constructed. The bridge was built higher and stronger, allowing it to survive the flood of 1955, which damaged a lot of other bridges along the Delaware River. The bridge was completed in 1926 with a new steel truss design and was finally opened to traffic in 1927.

The Centre Bridge-Stocktorn Bridge rehabilitation project commenced in September 2006 as the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission awarded Road-Con $8.4 million in order to go forward with this project. The bridge was more or less closed for five month, apart from on weekends in which it remained open. The total cost of the rehabilitation project was estimated to be $9.4 million,

and included blast cleaning, painting the bridge truss, rehabilitating the roadway deck and sidewalk, main structural repairs, and improving road signs, railings and lighting.

This bridge has also become somewhat of a musical and artistic symbol as Edward Willis Redfield portrayed the fire of 1923 through his famous painting, and the New Jersey composer, Frances White wrote two compositions about the bridge; which were inspired by the sound of traffic along the metal grating.