Officials are reminding the public that the New Hope-Lambertville Toll-Supported Bridge will be closed for two weeks.
The plan is for the bridge that connects New Hope Borough and the City of Lambertville to be shut down to all vehicular traffic and pedestrian crossings starting approximately 6 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 13.
The bridge could then remain closed to traffic for up to two weeks, with reopening planned no later than January 27, according to the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission.
For pedestrians, the commission has hired a shuttle bus service to transport people between the two communities that are separated by the Delaware River.
The commission will be repairing a 4-inch-diameter, 18-inch-long steel pin that supports a key joint of 11 structural steel members on the bridge’s second truss span from the Pennsylvania side. The 120-year-old pin has rusted and worn to the point where it poses a potential risk for failure under heavy load, officials said.
According to the commission, this is the first time a repair of this nature has needed on the New Hope and Lambertville bridge or any Pratt-truss bridges they own.
Earlier this week, engineers tensioned a temporary “friction collar” stabilization device on a part of the bridge that had deteriorated.
Below is more information from the commission:
Alternate Vehicular Routes During Temporary Bridge Closure
As has been the case for the past 10 months, New Jersey-bound motorists will be detoured a mile north to the New Hope-Lambertville (Route 202) Toll Bridge, which does not have a toll in the New Jersey-bound direction.
Pennsylvania-bound motorists have three options:
- The closest alternate river crossing is the New Hope-Lambertville (Route 202) Toll Bridge, one mile north. This is tolled in the PA-bound direction. The Class 1 toll for personal vehicles (motorcycles, cars, pickups, vans, and SUVs up to 8-feet high with two axles) is $1.50 for E-ZPass and $3 for TOLL BY PLATE (an invoice sent in the mail to the vehicle’s registered owner). Note: cash collections ended at the bridge in June 2024.
- The closest non-toll option is the Centre Bridge-Stockton Bridge, 3.3 miles north.
- Downriver, the closest option is the Washington Crossing Bridge (narrow) 6.9 miles south.
Temporary Shuttle Service for Pedestrians
Detours have been announced for the span that is nearly completed after a year of renovation and update work carried out by the commission.
As was the case during summer and fall 2024, the Commission has contracted an outside vendor to provide a temporary shuttle service at no cost to its riders. The service is intended solely for bridge walkway patrons only.
The shuttle will operate with two vehicles in service 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily and extended service with a single vehicle 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. As before there will be single designated drop-off/pick-up stops in New Hope and Lambertville’s commercial centers:
- New Hope loading/unloading stop: on the northbound side of North Main Street approximate to the park benches near the building that houses the PNC Bank and Starbucks Coffee.
- Lambertville loading/unloading stop: the Pennsylvania-bound side of Bridge Street in the general area of the former Black River and Western Railroad crossing and the Princeton Bank building.
A one-way trip between the two stops is approximately 12 to 15 minutes (maps attached). The minibuses for this temporary courtesy service exceed the 4-ton gross vehicle weight restriction on the New Hope-Lambertville Toll-Supported Bridge, the free crossing linking the riverfront towns’ commercial centers. For this reason, the shuttle must travel across the toll bridge immediately north of New Hope and Lambertville.
The shuttle service will consist of two-axle minibuses with maximum seating capacities for 20 passengers. There is space inside for two bicycles and each vehicle is ADA accessible, capable of loading and transporting disabled people in wheelchairs. Each vehicle can be configured to carry up to four wheelchairs, with a corresponding reduction of four passenger seats for each wheelchair. Four wheelchairs – an unlikely occurrence — would leave eight standard passenger seats available for a trip between the two towns.
The daily shuttle runs will end once the bridge’s walkway can be put back into service.
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