In 1836, the first bridge was built by the Dingmans. Under the terms of its charter, churchgoers, schoolchildren, and funeral processions were given free passage, a condition that is still in effect today. The first bridge lasted until 1847 when high water washed away the Milford Bridge upstream and swept the debris into Dingman's Bridge. After a brief life, the second bridge was destroyed four or five years after the first, in a severe windstorm. A third bridge was constructed in 1856, but, being of poor quality, it fell apart by 1862. The ferry was operated once again by the Dingmans until the property was sold in 1875 to John W. Kilsby, Sr. Kilsby's family operated the ferry until the turn of the twentieth century when the current bridge was constructed using some materials recycled from a railroad bridge on the Susquehanna River. This bridge has survived major floods in 1903, 1955, 2005, and 2006.
Later years
Dingman named his original plot of land Dingman's Choice. The village of Dingman's Choice, which became quite identified with the ferry, had its name changed by the Post Office to Dingmans Ferry in 1868. Records from an early log book show tolls of 40 cents for a horseless carriage, 25 cents for a two-horse wagon, 10 cents for a horse and rider, 5 cents for a bicycle, and 2 cents for a footman. Under the terms of the original charter, no toll was charged for individuals traveling to church or a funeral, a custom which is still practiced presently.
Today
Today, the bridge provides an important link for commuters to reach destinations in New Jersey and New York City. The bridge lies south of the current Milford–Montague Toll Bridge, and well north of the Delaware Water Gap Toll Bridge along Interstate 80. As such, it is in a location which caters well to the commuter lifestyle of many area residents of Delaware Township, Dingman Township, and other surrounding communities. The toll for automobiles is $1.00. Books of 40 tickets can be purchased from the toll collector for $30.00 as of April 20, 2015. This effectively lowers the toll to 75 cents if the entire book is used. Bicyclists may cross for free, but pedestrians are not allowed due to the narrow lanes. An height restriction coupled with a weight restriction of four tons precludes large RVs and trucks from crossing. Although the bridge is within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, government employees pay the toll, unless responding to an emergency with lights and sirens on. The bridge is the only fixed-crossing that charges a toll to enter New Jersey. The bridge's toll booth, located on the Pennsylvania side, is staffed by a single toll collector who stands in between the two lanes of traffic, collecting toll fees by hand. Christmas Day is the only day of the year on which the toll booth is unattended; everyone may cross for free. Because the Bridge Company is responsible for its own repairs, it employs an engineering firm certified for bridge inspection to regularly and thoroughly inspect the bridge from the tops of the trusses to the underwater foundations. Each year, the bridge company closes the bridge the second week after Labor Day to conduct any repairs needed to maintain the structural integrity of the bridge and to replace or flip the salt-treated British Columbiafir planks. These floor boards are held in place with anchor plates and collar nails which results in a characteristic rattling of the deck with the traffic moving.
