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The 'Lower Trenton Toll Supported Bridge', commonly called the 'Lower Free Bridge', 'Warren Street Bridge' or 'Trenton Makes Bridge', is a two-lane through truss bridge over the Delaware River between Trenton, New Jersey and Morrisville, Pennsylvania, owned by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission (DRJTBC). It is known as the Trenton Makes Bridge because of large lettering on the south side reading "TRENTON MAKES   THE WORLD TAKES", installed in 1935. In addition to being an important bridge from Pennsylvania to New Jersey, it is considered a boundary between the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area on the Pennsylvania side and the New York Metropolitan Area which begins in Trenton. It is a major landmark in the city of Trenton.
As one goes downstream, this bridge is the last free vehicular crossing of the Delaware; although it is owned by the DRJTBC, no toll is collected. All downstream vehicular crossings are tolled.

Contents

History

Spotting

Trivia

External links

References

History

The bridge was originally a toll bridge operated by the 'Trenton Delaware Bridge Company'. It opened on January 30, 1806, and was the first bridge across the Delaware.
In 1835 the Camden and Amboy Rail Road bought the bridge and the competing Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad to end the rivalry and the attempts by the P&T to put tracks over the bridge. The extension over the bridge was built soon after, and it was later connected to the C&A. Later a new alignment was built for the railroad, crossing the river on the Morrisville-Trenton Railroad Bridge.
On March 31, 1918 the bridge, then owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad, was sold to the states and tolls were removed. The company was dissolved September 15, 1919 in New Jersey and June 9, 1920 in Pennsylvania. With the removal of tolls, the Lincoln Highway was moved to the bridge from the tolled Calhoun Street Bridge in 1920. The bridge was then designated US 1 in 1927; it was replaced by the current bridge in 1928. In 1952 US 1 was moved to the new Trenton-Morrisville Toll Bridge, and for a time the old bridge was designated Alternate US 1. It is now marked as Business US 1, but only on the New Jersey side.
The "TRENTON MAKES   THE WORLD TAKES" sign south side of the bridge was installed in 1935 and first replaced in 1981. In 2005, the sign was replaced with one featuring higher-efficiency neon lighting, with better water proofing than the old sign, to help reduce maintenance costs.

Spotting

The sign is easily spotted from Amtrak and New Jersey Transit trains on the Northeast Corridor as they cross the river. On northbound trains, the sign is visible from the left side of the train, on southbound trains, from the right.

Trivia

The "TRENTON MAKES   THE WORLD TAKES" sign can be seen in the movie "Stealing Home" when Mark Harmon's bus crosses the bridge. It is also briefly featured in Rocket Science (2007 film).
The sign can also be seen in Trenton's own Poor Righteous Teachers 1990 video of their song "Rock This Funky Joint"

External links

★ Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission - Lower Trenton Toll Supported Bridge

★ New Jersey Network: Life 360 bridges

References

★ PRR Chronology