In recognition of the 60th anniversary of the worst flood ever recorded along the Delaware River, the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission has reissued the brief account of the flood as recorded in the agency’s 1955 annual report:
“The most devastating flood of the Delaware River ever recorded occurred on Aug. 19 and 20, 1955, presenting many new and challenging problems for the commission and its administrative and engineering staffs.
“The United States Weather Bureau had the following explanation of the great flood of the Delaware River.
‘The warm moist air mass that had covered this area for days was penetrated by Hurricane Diane, which weakened as its low pressure area moved rapidly from Northern Virginia to Cape Cod. An effect was to force the warm air higher where it cooled quickly and was unable to hold its moisture.
‘The ground was already drenched from Hurricane Connie, and there was no place for water to go except in runoffs in tributary creeks of the Delaware and other rivers.’
“The floodwater destroyed four free bridges and caused considerable damage to others. Bridges, which were damaged, have been partially or totally repaired and opened to traffic.
“One of the bridges destroyed has been replaced by a temporary Bailey type structure. Another is being replaced by a temporary Bailey structure. That latter bridge between Easton and Phillipsburg will be opened for traffic sometime in March 1956.
“The commission’s high-level toll structures were closed for a short period of time as access to the structures was cut off by inundated conditions of state and county highways and municipal streets.
“It is worthy to note that the devastating flood did not damage any of the five toll bridges. Minor damage was done to the Pennsylvania approach to the Easton-Phillipsburg (toll) bridge.
“The Trenton-Morrisville toll bridge was opened to traffic during the entire flood period and for a few hours was the only river crossing, under control of the commission, open to traffic.”
The closure periods at the commission-controlled, non-toll vehicular bridges in service at the time of the 1955 flood were recorded in the annual report as follows:
Lower Trenton (“Trenton Makes”) — closed on account of flood Aug. 19 to Aug. 22.
Calhoun Street — (Closed at the time of the flood) closed on account of construction of East-West Highway (now signed as Route 29 in Trenton) Aug. 8, 1955, to Aug. 31, 1955.
Yardley-Wilburtha — Bridge destroyed, flood Aug. 19-20, 1955.
Washington Crossing — Bridge closed on account of flood damages Aug. 19, 1955, to Nov. 17, 1955.
Lambertville-New Hope — Bridge closed on account of flood damages Aug. 19, 1955, to Sept. 22, 1955.
Centre Bridge-Stockton — Closed on account of flood Aug. 19, 1955, to Aug. 21, 1955.
Point Pleasant-Byram — Bridge destroyed, flood Aug. 19-20, 1955.
Uhlerstown-Frenchtown — Closed on account of flood Aug. 19, 1955, to Aug. 22, 1955.
Upper Black Eddy-Milford — Closed on account of flood Aug. 19, 1955, to Aug. 22, 1955.
Riegelsville — Closed on account of flood Aug. 19, 1955, to Aug. 21, 1955.
Easton-Phillipsburg (Northampton Street) — Closed on account of flood Aug. 19, 1955; one span destroyed; not repaired to Dec. 31, 1955.
Portland-Columbia (reportedly the longest remaining wooden covered bridge in United States at that time) — Bridge destroyed, flood of Aug. 19-20, 1955.
