The People’s Bridge

Now the oldest bridge across the Susquehanna River, the People's Bridge was constructed in 1889 utilizing the Baltimore Truss and Phoenix Column in its innovative cast-iron design. It was erected by the People's Bridge Company, organized by the renowned Harrisburg civic leader E.Z. Wallower, as a low-cost alternative to the nearby Camelback Bridge (replaced by the current Market Street Bridge) which has enjoyed a monopoly in fare-paying bridge traffic since 1816. Carrying horse-drawn vehicles, electric streetcars and eventually automobiles, for which affordable tolls were charged until 1956, the People's Bridge remained a major traffic thoroughfare between East and West Shores until 1972, when it was severely weakened by the Hurricane Agnes Flood, and closed to traffic. It is a pedestrian and cycling link today.