Theodore Burr’s Trenton Bridge

Theodore Burr built several very important bridges of various designs across the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers; however, none was as large as his bridge across the Delaware River in Trenton, New Jersey. The overall length of the five-span bridge was 1,008 ft with a width of 36 ft (1 m=3.28 ft). It was a unique bridge, with the deck suspended from arches and with partial covering. Construction started in 1804 and the structure opened as a toll bridge on January 30, 1806. With renovations and expansions, it served until 1875. The next bridge to cross the Delaware was Timothy Palmer’s bridge in Easton, Pennsylvania, which opened in late 1806.