Vehicle traffic on the Benjamin Franklin Bridge will pause on Saturday, July 11, 2026, as the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) holds a public celebration for the bridge’s 100th anniversary. The free event will invite visitors to walk the span and join a day of activities on the Camden side near the toll plaza. If the weather disrupts the schedule, the event will move to Sunday, July 12.
The event will include live music, performances, carnival rides, and food trucks, along with other activities designed for families. Visitors will also be able to explore historical displays connected to the bridge. Organizers plan to present interactive exhibits, including a pop-up museum with artifacts that document the span’s history across the past century. Event hours have not yet been announced, and additional information will be released in the coming months.
From steel & rivets to a century of connection.
The Ben Franklin Bridge turns 100 in 2026.Join us for a once-in-a-century celebration on Saturday, July 11, 2026.
➡️Learn more: https://t.co/PNPtavcic9
📩Get updates: https://t.co/NZKHTVTqnq pic.twitter.com/GGyhz9n98z— Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) (@DRPA_PAandNJ) March 19, 2026
“For a century, the Ben Franklin Bridge has connected Philadelphia and Camden, linking communities, supporting commerce, and moving millions of people across the Delaware River,” the DRPA wrote on its website about the upcoming anniversary event. “Join us as we celebrate this historic milestone and look ahead to the next 100 years.”
🌉 @DRPA_PAandNJ will host a FREE 100 year anniversary event for the Ben Franklin Bridge on July 11.
The bridge will close to car traffic and invites people to walk the bridge, and enjoy food trucks, live music and more family friendly activities.
Info: https://t.co/9QphsdlrS7 pic.twitter.com/SGiRQJZ83o
— City of Philadelphia (@PhiladelphiaGov) March 24, 2026
The bridge will remain closed to all traffic for the duration of the celebration to provide safe pedestrian access. Drivers are advised to use the Walt Whitman Bridge as an alternate route during the closure.
The Benjamin Franklin Bridge carries vehicles, trains, cyclists and pedestrians across the Delaware River between Philadelphia and Camden. Since its opening in 1926, the structure has handled thousands of motorists as well as PATCO train trips and foot traffic between the two cities. When the bridge closes because of construction or accidents, traffic congestion develops quickly, with cars and trucks forming long lines through city streets and onto nearby highways.
DRPA CEO John T. Hanson described the span’s role in the region in a statement. “The Ben Franklin Bridge is more than just a crossing,” Hanson said. “It is a symbol of connection between our communities.”
The need for the bridge developed during the early twentieth century as automobile travel expanded. At that time, ferry service across the Delaware River handled most trips between Philadelphia and Camden. Increasing travel demand created interest in a faster link that could connect the two cities and provide access to the growing road network connecting communities and employment centers.
Construction on the bridge began in January 1922 and continued for four and a half years. The project cost $37 million, an amount equal to about $720 million today. Approximately 760,000 tons of structural steel and masonry were used during construction, and more than 1,300 workers took part in building the span.
Fifteen people died during construction incidents. One of those workers was 29-year-old Howard Meyer, a former World War I pilot. Meyer fell from the structure into the Delaware River after an acetylene torch exploded in his hands while he was working on the bridge.
When the bridge opened on July 1, 1926, it carried the name Delaware River Bridge. The structure immediately drew attention because its 1,750-foot main span established a world record as the longest suspension bridge at the time. Large crowds gathered along the riverfront in both Camden and Philadelphia to witness the opening.
Engineers designed the bridge to carry several forms of transportation within the same structure, including automobiles, trains, trolleys and pedestrians.
Tolls during the early years reflected the types of travel common during the 1920s. Drivers paid 25 cents in each direction to cross the bridge. Historical information from the DRPA also states that horses could cross for 1 cent, while the toll increased to 3 cents when a horse pulled a carriage. Another historical account lists horseback crossings at 15 cents.
The bridge received its current name in 1956, when officials renamed the Delaware River Bridge as the Benjamin Franklin Bridge in honor of the founding statesman. The new name also distinguished the span from the Walt Whitman Bridge, which opened in 1957 between South Philadelphia and Gloucester City.
Traffic levels on the bridge today remain high. More than 37 million vehicles travel across the span each year, which averages roughly 100,000 vehicles per day. PATCO trains carry another 5.6 million passengers annually. The structure also includes walkways that provide access for pedestrians and cyclists traveling between the two cities.
Drivers currently pay a $6 toll when traveling westbound into Philadelphia. The toll system changed in 1992 so that drivers pay only when entering Pennsylvania.
Over the decades, the bridge has received continued investment and maintenance. Three years ago the DRPA installed new LED lighting across the span. The lighting system supports colorful displays during holidays and special occasions. The installation formed part of a $216.9 million rehabilitation project that included structural repairs and work on the bridge’s walkways.
The Benjamin Franklin Bridge also appears frequently in movies and television programs set in Philadelphia, including Rocky, National Treasure, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
The structure has occasionally attracted attention online because of unusual events. In 2022 a person climbed to the top of the bridge’s 382-foot-tall support towers. In 2015 Philadelphia 76ers rookie Jahlil Okafor was clocked driving 108 miles per hour across the bridge.
The July 11 celebration will occur one week after the United States observes its 250th anniversary. Philadelphia plans several events connected to the anniversary through the Wawa Welcome America festival, which will include marches, concerts and fireworks from June 19 through July 4.
The DRPA is currently seeking vendors for the centennial event and will publish updates on its website as additional details become available.
