Pre-Construction Work For Bridge Project To Begin Next Week

The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission has confirmed that the planned rehabilitation of the New Hope-Lambertville Toll-Support Bridge will commence with pre-construction activities starting next week.

The initial phase involving work-site mobilization and set-up is scheduled to have minimal impact on traffic and pedestrian movement, officials said.

According to the commission’s announcement on Wednesday, both vehicular lanes and the pedestrian walkway on the bridge will remain accessible during the three-week preparatory period

The pre-construction period is expected to end around January 22.

The project contractor, along with various sub-contractors, will be engaging in preliminary tasks such as equipment and material mobilization at a location approximately a mile from the bridge.

Additional activities, including photography, surveying, and signage placements, may occur near the bridge, but are not expected to significantly hinder traffic flow. Brief traffic stoppages, if required, will be the extent of the travel impacts during this phase, officials said.

On or around January 22, the bridge will then undergo a traffic pattern shift, restricting vehicular movement to a single lane towards Pennsylvania. New Jersey-bound traffic will be diverted to the Route 202 bridge, which allows toll-free travel into New Jersey.

The detour is expected to last several months.

The bridge’s walkway will remain open when construction begins.

The commission said they plan to provide more detailed information about the construction schedule and potential walkway impacts by the second week of January.

In anticipation of future walkway closures, the commission has announced plans for a temporary shuttle service to allow for pedestrian movement between New Hope Borough and the City of Lambertville.

The rehabilitation project focuses on replacing the bridge’s current fiberglass panels in the walkway, cleaning and repainting of the bridge’s steel-truss superstructure. repair or replacement of various deteriorated or compromised steel components, upgrade roadway and walkway lighting to an energy-efficient LED system, install a programmable color-changing LED lighting system to highlight the bridge’s Pratt-truss architectural profile, replace electrical wiring and connections; and update the bridge’s security camera system and install up to two additional walkway cameras.

The bridge was built for the second version of the New Hope Delaware Bridge Company, which ran a tolled crossing for a little more than 15 years, including for pedestrians and bicycles. On December 31, 1919, the regional shareholder-owned bridge corporation agreed to a deal facilitated by the former Joint Commission for Elimination of Toll Bridges that saw it sell the bridge to the states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey for $225,000. Three days later, tolls were eliminated. On July 1, 1987, the states transferred ownership of the bridge to the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission.