A cargo ship strike left the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge across the Delaware River unable to close, disrupting traffic between Palmyra, N.J., and Philadelphia, the state’s Rep. Ed Neilson said.
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A cargo ship struck the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge across the Delaware River on Thursday, disrupting traffic between Palmyra, New Jersey, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, according to state Rep. Ed Neilson.
Neilson said in a news release that the collision left the 3,659-foot-long (1,115-meter-long) bridge unable to close and caused a major backup on the Philadelphia side.
No injuries were reported, Neilson said.
The steel bridge carries vehicles along Route 73 between Palmyra and the Tacony neighbourhood in northeast Philadelphia, with three lanes of vehicular traffic—two into Philadelphia and one into New Jersey.
A recorded message from the Burlington County Bridge Commission, which owns, operates and maintains the crossing, said the bridge is closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic until further notice, with an update expected in time for the evening rush hour.
The Tacony-Palmyra toll bridge opened in 1929. Federal Highway Administration National Bridge Inventory data released this fall rated the bridge’s condition as “fair,” with inspectors rating the deck in good condition, the substructure in fair condition and the superstructure—in this case, the component that absorbs the live traffic load—as fair.
Estimates from 2025 show the bridge can carry as many as 76,200 vehicles each day.
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