However, by the late nineteenth century, when horse-drawn streetcars were replaced by trolley cars, the old wooden bridge could no longer handle the demands of traffic and a new structure was erected in 1895.

The new bridge was designed by James Madison Porter III, an alumnus of nearby Lafayette College and later a professor of civil engineering there.

[2] Flooding from Hurricanes Connie and Diane in August 1955 ravaged the Delaware River valley.

The jam, combined with the rushing water, cut through the structure, causing a 50-foot (15 m) gap in the center span.

[4] The span washing away also destroyed telephone cables, which had to be restored by 300 men stringing temporary wire together.