Trenton’s Little Shaky Bridge
There’s a curious little footbridge located just a few yards away from the Delaware River in Trenton’s Stacy Park. Though it only spans a distance of about 25 feet or so over an outflow creek from the nearby Delaware & Raritan Canal, the structure looks very reminiscent of much larger and more well-known suspension bridges. And there’s a 
good reason for that –– it was designed by John A. Roebling, famed architect of the majestic Brooklyn Bridge.
The construction consists of two white wooden towers and a somewhat rickety wood plank deck, which rests on steel girders. It’s suspended by thick black steel cables which are anchored to large concrete block moorings set into the ground on either 
end of the bridge. Despite its rigid appearance, it has come to be known as the Shaky Bridge because of the way it swings and sways when walked across. This is, however, exactly what a suspension bridge is designed to do.
It’s generally believed that Roebling built the diminutive bridge in the 19th century as a demonstration model for his suspension designs and later gifted it to the city of Trenton, though documentation of that fact is not conclusive. Some claim it’s a miniature replica of one of Roebling’s more famous projects, either the Brooklyn Bridge or the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge. While it does employ the same suspension technology as the others, the designs of the three bridges are by no means identical.
The Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge stood from 1855 to 1897 across the Niagara River near the Falls, and was the world’s first railway suspension bridge. Trains used the upper deck of its 825-foot expanse, while pedestrians and carriages used the lower.
Shaky Bridge spans a much humbler stream that was originally called Waste Weir, which was used as an outflow for unused water from a seven mile stretch of the D&R Canal. Unlike most of the canal, which was primarily used for transport, this section was design to carry water to provide hydro-power to the local mills in the area. By the early twentieth century though, there were no longer any mills using its water, so the stream was renamed Sanhican Creek.
Though it may seem tempting to make the Shaky Bridge shimmy and shake as you traverse it, be forewarned: the concrete culvert beneath the wooden planks under your feet now carries the effluent from the Trenton Water Works Filtration plant (sewage treatment), which is located just a few yards away. So, if you’re looking for some thrills, it might just be a safer bet to go over Niagara Fall in a barrel than to take a dip in these waters.
The preceding article is an excerpt from issue #54 of Weird NJ magazine, “Your Travel Guide to New Jersey’s Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets,” which is available on newsstands throughout the state and on the web at www.WeirdNJ.com. All contents ©Weird NJ and may not be reproduced by any means without permission.
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