Editing Betsy Ross Bridge (section)

== History ==

Planning for additional Delaware River crossings in the 1960s identified the need for a bridge between the Benjamin Franklin Bridge and the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge to serve the growing Port Richmond and Northeast Philadelphia areas. Construction on what would become the Betsy Ross Bridge began in 1969, with the project spanning the nation's bicentennial celebration period.<ref name="drpa"/>

The bridge opened on April 30, 1976, during bicentennial year, with its naming honoring Betsy Ross, the Philadelphia seamstress traditionally credited with creating the first American flag. While historians debate the accuracy of the Betsy Ross legend, her association with Philadelphia and the revolutionary period made the name appropriate for a bicentennial-era project.<ref name="drpa"/>

The opening provided relief for traffic that had relied on the Benjamin Franklin Bridge or the toll-free Tacony-Palmyra Bridge for crossings in this section of the river. The new bridge connected directly to Interstate 95 on the Pennsylvania side, integrating with the regional highway network.<ref name="drpa"/>