With the traffic shift complete and work on the New Hope-Lambertville Toll-Supported Bridge pushing forward, the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission on Tuesday announced Thursday, July 11 as the tentative opening date for the bridge’s temporary walkway.
The commission plans to start a free shuttle bus service, as well, once the walkway change happens.
After the closure, the existing walkway will be removed and replaced over the next 11 weeks.
Below is information from the commission:
The Commission said the temporary walkway’s July 11 opening date must be considered “tentative” because it is contingent on a utility contractor’s July 10 installation of an underground natural-gas service line near the bridge’s Lambertville approach. If that weather-sensitive work can be completed without unanticipated issues that force delays, then the temporary bridge walkway’s opening could occur sometime the next day, July 11.
Preparations for the temporary walkway installation began last week when the project contractor – Anselmi and DeCicco – completed the first half of a rehabilitation project that has been underway at the bridge since early this year. Pennsylvania-bound traffic at the bridge subsequently was shifted back to its normal upstream lane, providing the contractor the space it needs to install a temporary walkway on the bridge’s road deck linking the New Hope and Lambertville commercial districts.
A temporary steel construction barrier has already been installed on the bridge road deck to separate pedestrians from PA-bound motor vehicles crossing the bridge. The next step is the installation of the temporary walkway itself, currently scheduled to be completed on July 10.
Because the temporary walkway must be confined to a six-foot width – two feet narrower than the current bridge walkway, the Commission also plans to operate a temporary courtesy shuttle between New Hope and Lambertville while the bridge’s permanent walkway is out of service. The shuttle will be ADA-accessible. It is expected to operate 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day. There will be designated stops – one in New Hope and the other in Lambertville. A one-way trip will take approximately 12 minutes, crossing the river at the nearby New Hope-Lambertville (Route 202) Toll Bridge.
The bridge’s walkway replacement work will take place in tandem with the cleaning and repainting of the bridge’s downstream steel truss sections and the walkway’s steel supports. The walkway replacement work will involve installation of quieter slip-resistant foam-core panels and new railings. This next work stage is currently projected to end in late September.
The commission previously said they were waiting until after the July 4 weekend to move to the temporary walkway.
The bridge project got underway in late January.
The bridge rehabilitation effort focuses on several key aspects of the bridge’s structure and aesthetics. It includes replacing the fiberglass panels of the walkway, cleaning and repainting the steel-truss superstructure, and repairing or replacing any deteriorated steel components. Additionally, the project will upgrade both roadway and walkway lighting to energy-efficient LED lights, which will feature a programmable, color-changing LED lighting system designed to highlight the bridge’s Pratt-truss architectural profile.
The project encompasses updating the electrical wiring and connections and enhancing the bridge’s security measures with the addition of new walkway cameras.
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