INQUIRER: The idea for another bridge to cross the Delaware River came to light almost as soon as the Ben Franklin Bridge was completed in 1926. (It was called the Delaware River Bridge then.) Initially, there were plans to dig a tunnel under the river to connect South Philadelphia and Gloucester City. Over time, a bridge became a more viable option. Construction began in 1953. Four years later, 10,000 tons of steel and 4,000 feet of cable had come together to create what would be named the “Most Beautiful Structure of Steel of 1957” by the American Institute of Steel Construction.