New Hope-Lambertville Bridge Walkway Closure Pushed Back A Week

The closure of the New Hope-Lambertville Toll-Supported Bridge’s pedestrian walkway is expected to start next week, the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission confirmed to NewHopeFreePress.com.

The commission originally believed the 11-week-long closure of the walkway over the Delaware River between New Hope Borough and the City of Lambertville would begin this week, but that tentative date was pushed back.

“The prospective July 11 date was considered ‘tentative’ because of a series of tasks that need to be completed before pedestrian traffic can be moved off the current walkway and onto the temporary walkway. Among the tasks are the installation of a temporary walkway across the bridge, the erection of a construction-zone partition to separate the walkway from the next stage’s work area, and the installation of an underground natural gas line in the vicinity of the bridge’s Lambertville approach,” the commission said.

Anselmi and DeCicco, the contractor on the project, began setting up the temporary walkway and steel safety barrier on the span last week.

The commission said: “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.”

More information on the shuttle service and exact start of the opening of the temporary walkway will be announced later this week.

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.