Like the designers of the Egyptian Pyramids who added secret
compartments within their walls that stored the wealth and
possessions of their Pharaoh inhabitants as preparation for
their journeys and lives in the next realm, more modern
architects have hidden treasures within their structures.
Hundreds of thousands of riders travel over the Benjamin
Franklin Bridge between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Camden,
New Jersey daily. Few have any inkling of the treasures stored
within it. The idea of building a bridge across the Delaware
River was discussed in the early 1800’s. Employing the best
practices of 19th Century engineering, they planned a low
structure with a complex array of openings to accommodate both
the sailing ships and the horse-drawn vehicles of the day. Like
many such large-scale public programs, it takes years to bring
initial plans to fruition, and the bridge spanning the Delaware
was no exception. In fact, it took a century. With the dawn of
the motorized era of transportation, the need for a