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It’s hard to imagine what travel around the Philly area would be like without the Ben Franklin Bridge. Since 1926, the structure has supported thousands and thousands of motorists, PATCO train trips and even pedestrians and bikers.
On days the bridge is closed due to construction or accidents, long lines of cars and trucks snake through city streets and onto adjacent highways.
This summer, the bridge’s importance and legacy will be commemorated with a day of celebrations on July 11. Organizers are planning activities including live music, performances, food trucks, carnival rides, and other activities throughout the day.
There will also be interactive historical exhibits including a “pop-up museum” featuring artifacts from the bridge over the course of its century-long history.
According to the Delaware River Port Authority, which operates the bridge alongside the three other major Pennsylvania crossings over the river, the initial toll to cross the bridge in a car was just 3 cents. Horses could cross for just a penny, unless it was pulling a carriage, in which case the toll jumped to 3 cents.
Because of its prominent location, the bridge is often featured in movies and TV shows set in Philadelphia including Rocky, National Treasure and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
The bridge has also gone viral online such as when someone climbed to the top of the 382-feet-tall bridge supports in 2022 or when then-Sixers rookie Jahlil Okafor was clocked going 108 mph over the bridge in 2015.
While neither of those events will likely be part of the commemoration, organizers promise a “free, family-friendly event designed for attendees of all ages.” More event details will be announced in the coming months.
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