A cargo ship struck the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge over the Delaware River on Thursday, leaving the span temporarily unable to close and creating heavy traffic delays on the Philadelphia side.
The U.S. Coast Guard identified the vessel as the Strategic Alliance, a 591-foot cargo ship built in 2013 that sails under the flag of Singapore. The ship is currently moored at a Kinder Morgan facility in Bristol, Pennsylvania, where an inspection team is actively evaluating the vessel.
Drawbridge Operations Following the Collision
The drawbridge was already open for marine traffic when the collision occurred at approximately 1:15 p.m., according to the Coast Guard. The span remained open briefly after the impact because another vessel needed to pass through before the mechanism could be lowered.
The Burlington County Bridge Commission Police Department reported that the steel bridge reopened to motorists Thursday evening with a single lane closure.
The bridge carries Route 73 vehicles between Palmyra, New Jersey, and the Tacony neighborhood in northeast Philadelphia. The three-lane crossing accommodates two lanes toward Philadelphia and one toward New Jersey, handling up to 76,200 vehicles daily based on 2025 estimates.
Infrastructure Condition
Opened in 1929, the toll bridge was rated in “fair” condition overall in the Federal Highway Administration’s 2026 National Bridge Inventory data released this fall.
Federal inspectors specifically rated the bridge deck in good condition, while classifying both the substructure and the superstructure—the component responsible for absorbing live traffic loads—as fair.
ABC News reported that no one answered phone calls Thursday afternoon at the Burlington County Bridge Commission, which owns and maintains the structure.
A recorded telephone message indicated that the bridge remained closed to both vehicular and pedestrian traffic until further notice while authorities prepared evening rush-hour updates.
