Kellams Bridge | |
|---|---|
 Kellams Bridge in March 2017. | |
| Coordinates | 41°49′24″N 75°06′49″W / 41.82333°N 75.11361°W |
| Carries | 1 lane of Kellam Bridge Road |
| Crosses | Delaware River |
| Locale | Stalker, Pennsylvania, and Hankins, New York |
| Official name | Kellams Bridge |
| Other name(s) | Little Equinunk Bridge |
| Owner | New York–Pennsylvania Joint Interstate Bridge Commission |
| Maintained by | New York–Pennsylvania Joint Interstate Bridge Commission |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Underspanned suspension bridge |
| Total length | 384 feet (117 m) |
| No. of spans | 1 |
| Piers in water | 0 |
| Clearance above | 8 feet (2.4 m) |
| History | |
| Designer | David Kellam[1] |
| Construction end | 1889 |
| Opened | July 1889[1] |
| Statistics | |
| Toll | 35¢ (until elimination of tolls in 1932)[2] |
| Location | |
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The Kellams Bridge, originally known as the Little Equinunk Bridge and officially the Kellams–Stalker Bridge is a 384-foot (117 m) underspanned suspension bridge across the Delaware River from Stalker village area of Manchester Township, Wayne County, Pennsylvania to Hankins hamlet in the town of Fremont, Sullivan County, New York. The single-lane steel grate deck bridge carries traffic of Kellam Bridge Road. The bridge is the only remaining underspan suspension bridge in the United States.
Replacing a ferry operated by William Kellam from 1860–1888, the Little Equinunk Bridge Company built a bridge in the location in 1889, constructed by Kellam's brother, David. The bridge operated as a private entity until 1932 when the New York–Pennsylvania Joint Interstate Bridge Commission purchased the bridge. The bridge was closed in 1935 after the structure began developing problems, resulting a local revolt, which left the bridge unofficially open until May 1936. In May 1936, a truck caused the bridge to sag and emergency repairs were required to bring the structure up to safety codes. The bridge closed in 1988 when the bridge's New York tower began tipping towards the Delaware River. Renovations were made on an emergency and permanent basis through July 1990.