The bridge opened for public use on December 1, 1953. The main span is a long, ten-span steel girder system, supported by reinforced concrete piers and concrete bin abutments. The bridge is wide from curb to curb. There is no sidewalk on the bridge. The
Portland–Columbia Pedestrian Bridge is located upstream of the Portland–Columbia Toll Bridge. A three-lane
toll plaza is located on the Pennsylvania side of the bridge, serving westbound traffic only. The pay-by-plate toll for automobiles is $5.00, while
E-ZPass users pay $2.00. The
Delaware Water Gap Toll Bridge, Portland–Columbia Toll Bridge and the
Milford–Montague Toll Bridge were all constructed simultaneously by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, with work on all three started on October 15, 1951 and all three bridge openings spaced approximately every two weeks in December 1953. ==References==