Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Mule Bridge
Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Mule Bridge | |
|---|---|
The Mule Bridge in 2023 | |
| Coordinates | 40°01′19″N 75°13′10″W / 40.02194°N 75.21944°W |
| Carries | Philadelphia & Reading Railroad, Venice Branch |
| Crosses | Schuylkill River |
| Locale | Philadelphia/Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania |
| Characteristics | |
| Material | Wrought iron |
| Total length | 623 feet (190 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | 1889, altered 1943 |
| Location | |
Interactive map of Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Mule Bridge | |
The Mule Bridge spans the Schuylkill River in Pennsylvania, connecting Venice Island in Manayunk, Philadelphia, with Bala Cynwyd. It was built by the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad in 1889.
The bridge is significant because it is one of Philadelphia's oldest metal railroad bridges, and a rare surviving example of a wrought-iron lattice truss.
The last freight train crossed the bridge in April 4 2017.
In the early 2020s, the possibility of converting the Mule Bridge to carry pedestrian and bicycle traffic, to connect the existing trails adjacent to it on both banks, was discussed.