Suspension Bridges Crossing Lehigh River
This is a list of all 8 bridges from the suspension bridge inventory crossing Lehigh River. Please note that different rivers with the same name will be grouped together. For example, selecting 'Bear Creek' shows bridges across several different Bear Creeks. Also, similarly named rivers are grouped separately. For example, 'River Dee' (UK) bridges are grouped separately from 'Dee River' (Australia) bridges. Wherever you see a Bridgemeister ID number click it to isolate the bridge on its own page.
Related Lists:
1811: Third Street
Easton, Pennsylvania, USA - Lehigh River
| Bridgemeister ID: | 18 (added before 2003) |
| Year Completed: | 1811 |
| Name: | Third Street |
| Location: | Easton, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Crossing: | Lehigh River |
| Principals: | Jacob Blumer (?) |
| References: | CAB, DSE20000203 |
| Use: | Vehicular |
| Status: | Removed |
| Main Cables: | Chain (iron) |
External Links:
1814: Hamilton Street
Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA - Lehigh River
| Bridgemeister ID: | 19 (added before 2003) |
| Year Completed: | 1814 |
| Name: | Hamilton Street |
| Location: | Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Crossing: | Lehigh River |
| Principals: | Jacob Blumer |
| References: | AAJ, CAB, DSE20000203, PTS2 |
| Status: | Removed |
| Main Cables: | Chain (iron) |
| Suspended Spans: | 4 |
| Main Spans: | 2 |
| Side Spans: | 2 |
External Links:
1824: Biery's
Biery's Port (Catasauqua), Pennsylvania, USA - Lehigh River
| Bridgemeister ID: | 21 (added before 2003) |
| Year Completed: | 1824 |
| Name: | Biery's |
| Location: | Biery's Port (Catasauqua), Pennsylvania, USA |
| Crossing: | Lehigh River |
| Principals: | Jacob Blumer, George Deily (?) |
| References: | CAB, DSE20000203 |
| Status: | Removed |
| Main Cables: | Chain (iron) |
1824: Lehigh Gap
Lehigh Gap, Pennsylvania, USA - Lehigh River
| Bridgemeister ID: | 22 (added before 2003) |
| Year Completed: | 1824 |
| Name: | Lehigh Gap |
| Also Known As: | Palmerton |
| Location: | Lehigh Gap, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Crossing: | Lehigh River |
| Principals: | Jacob Blumer |
| References: | AAJ, CAB, DSE20000203, WHSB |
| Use: | Vehicular |
| Status: | Replaced, 1933 |
| Main Cables: | Chain (iron) |
| Suspended Spans: | 3 |
Notes:
- Finley patent bridge.
External Links:
Image Sets:
1857: Change
Glendon, Pennsylvania, USA - Lehigh River
| Bridgemeister ID: | 56 (added before 2003) |
| Year Completed: | 1857 |
| Name: | Change |
| Also Known As: | Chain, Lehigh Canal Swinging, Wire Towing Path at Pool No. 8 |
| Location: | Glendon, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Crossing: | Lehigh River |
| Coordinates: | 40.65382 N 75.24774 W |
| Maps: | Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap |
| Principals: | Lehigh Coal and Navigation Co., E.A. Douglas |
| References: | HAERPA461, HBP |
| Use: | Footbridge and Change |
| Status: | Derelict (last checked: 2007) |
| Main Cables: | Wire (iron) |
| Suspended Spans: | 2 |
| Main Spans: | 2 |
Notes:
- Often mistakenly called a "chain" bridge, this is a "change" bridge.
External Links:
- Aldrich Change Bridge. Dale Oswald explains (in the context of the Aldrich Change Bridge, a non-suspension bridge in Palmyra, New York): "A change bridge is one with low railings and an underpass that allowed draft teams to move from one side of the canal to the other without unhitching, cloverleaf-style."
Image Sets:
1886: Lower
Easton, Pennsylvania, USA - Lehigh River
| Bridgemeister ID: | 813 (added 2003-05-29) |
| Year Completed: | 1886 |
| Name: | Lower |
| Location: | Easton, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Crossing: | Lehigh River |
| Coordinates: | 40.683778 N 75.223472 W |
| Maps: | Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap |
| References: | DSL20030414, WGE20030513 |
| Use: | Footbridge |
| Status: | Demolished, 1951 |
| Main Cables: | Wire |
| Suspended Spans: | 2 |
| Main Spans: | 1 x 158.5 meters (520 feet), 1 x 136.7 meters (448.6 feet) |
Notes:
- Damaged by windstorm 1950.
- From WGE20030513 (email from Lance Metz to Wayne Grodkiewicz): "Crossed the Lehigh at 10th street in Easton and went to the Lehigh Valley Railroad Shops in South Easton. This bridge was erected in 1886 and it cost a penny to walk across it. The bridge was over 1,020 feet in length and 128 feet above the Lehigh River and canal. Its cables were suspended from two steel towers. It remained in use until 1950 when it was damaged by a windstorm. It was demolished in 1951." It appears the bridge was actually closer to the alignment of 11th street than 10th street, terminating near the present-day playground southwest of the corner of Elm and South Warren streets.
- Near 1900 Upper - Easton, Pennsylvania, USA.
External Links:
- YouTube - Easton Pa & Walking Bridge over Lehigh River 1940s. Starting from 1:13, film of the derelict bridge supposedly in the 1940s but may reflect the windstorm damage of 1950.
Image Sets:
1888: Tidewater Pipeline
Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, USA - Lehigh River
| Bridgemeister ID: | 1527 (added 2004-10-24) |
| Year Completed: | 1888 |
| Name: | Tidewater Pipeline |
| Location: | Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Crossing: | Lehigh River |
| Coordinates: | 40.90714 N 75.748544 W |
| Maps: | Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap |
| Principals: | William Hildenbrand |
| References: | AAJ, HBE |
| Use: | Pipeline |
| Status: | Extant (last checked: 2020) |
| Main Cables: | Wire |
| Main Span: | 1 x 109.7 meters (360 feet) |
Notes:
- The town was named "Mauch Chunk" at the time the pipeline was built.
Image Sets:
1900: Upper
Easton, Pennsylvania, USA - Lehigh River
| Bridgemeister ID: | 366 (added before 2003) |
| Year Completed: | 1900 |
| Name: | Upper |
| Location: | Easton, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Crossing: | Lehigh River |
| Coordinates: | 40.680361 N 75.229361 W |
| Maps: | Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap |
| Principals: | Henry G. Tyrell, John McNeal |
| References: | AAJ, DSL20030414, EN19001122, HBE, PTS2, WGE20030513 |
| Use: | Footbridge |
| Status: | Demolished, 1955 |
| Main Cables: | Wire (steel) |
| Suspended Spans: | 3 |
| Main Spans: | 2 x 85 meters (279 feet) |
| Side Span: | 1 x 33.5 meters (110 feet) |
| Characteristics: | Suspended staircase |
Notes:
- According to Tyrell, "[It] joins Dock Street on the lower side of the river with Glendon Avenue on the upper side, 90 feet above it. To overcome this difference in elevation of the two ends without incurring excessive expense for approach, the bridge floor was made to descend on a grade of 7.2 per cent from the upper bank to meet stairs rising from Dock Street..."
- Near 1886 Lower - Easton, Pennsylvania, USA.
Image Sets:
Do you have any information or photos for these bridges that you would like to share? Please email david.denenberg@bridgemeister.com.
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