What's going on behind the boards and chainlink fence under the Ben Franklin at Race and Delaware?

I was down that way early this morning, but unfortunately, there was a little too much traffic for me to jump the curb and take a look for myself.

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Just regular maintenance / repainting. I walked all up and down Del. Ave. on Saturday morning, including up Del. Ave to the Waterfront Towers, and then south to Reed, and I stopped to chat with one of the workers at the bridge.

The paint on that bridge has never been stripped in its 75+ years, so they are getting all of the lead-based paint off it and repainting the whole thing. They are nearly complete, with the Camden side and the main span completed. The current portion is the last bit to be completed, and then the bridge will look new for a good while.

You could actually tell it needed a serious paint job if you got close to it before.

I also asked him if the trolley/train station inside the base will ever be re-opened, possibly for tourists. He didn't think so, unless it was a special tour. He said it was cavernous inside there, big enough to turn a tractor-trailer around in, but also said it was beautiful.

Well, a repainting is a good thing, and yes, I agree, very long overdue. I was down on the waterfront several times, using the bridge as a backdrop for many photos, but always made sure I shot from such and angle that the rust wasn't evident, or that I was far enough away that it looked really good.

I didn't know there was a station under there. I knew Channel 12 did a tour series a few years ago, just after 9/11, IIRC, showing many underground features of Philadelphia. Unfortunately, because of meetings and other commitments, I missed most of the series. I'm not sure what the host's name was, as the only thing I can really recall is a guy who came across as very friendly and wasn't averse to crawling into sewer holes and other areas. I believe the show was supposed to feature something on the Ben Franklin Bridge, but I can't remember the details. I know there was a controversy surrounding a story that Channel 3 did on "security lapses" at an underground pedestrian(?) entrance to the bridge somewhere near the Mint. It was because of the story that I took a greater interest in the series. Maybe I can find it on DVD somewhere, or find someone who recorded it and I can get it converted to DVD.

Thanks again for the info, Mike.

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| "When you choose your friends, don't get
| short-changed by choosing personality
| over character." ... - W. Somerset Maugham
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You're probably thinking of this series:
http://www.whyy.org/tv12/secrets/index.html

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Is the pedestrian bridge to Jersey ever open? I tried to bike across it a few weekends ago and it was locked...maybe a winter thing?

Yep, that's it! Thanks for the link.

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| "When you choose your friends, don't get
| short-changed by choosing personality
| over character." ... - W. Somerset Maugham
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The bridge maintenance is several years behind schedule. They used the maintenance to bar parking under the bridge back in the late 1990s and right at 2000.

Then they used 9/11 as an excuse to ban parking under the bridge, despite the fact they allow it on the Rutgers side (Camden).

It was supposed to be done by now.

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“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” - Jane Jacobs

Who would want to launch a terrorist attack on Camden? Honestly now. Geez, Chris. It wouldn't affect Philly or anything, you know?

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| "When you choose your friends, don't get
| short-changed by choosing personality
| over character." ... - W. Somerset Maugham
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It was sort of a funny excuse.

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“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” - Jane Jacobs

Most of the excuses given since 9/11 have been funny or lame. Sadly enough.

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PGP key: 0xB69AE59B
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| "When you choose your friends, don't get
| short-changed by choosing personality
| over character." ... - W. Somerset Maugham
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