A major step in the emergency repair of the New Hope-Lambertville Toll-Supported Bridge was completed late Tuesday as workers successfully removed a damaged structural pin, the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission announced Wednesday.
The work is part of repairs that will lead to reopening the bridge, which closed Monday morning for two weeks.
The removal of a severely rusted and deformed 4-inch-diameter, 18-inch-long pin from the bridge’s second span marks a significant milestone in the repair process, according to commission officials.
The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission aim to have the toll-free bridge back in limited operation by Jan. 27.
The pin was located on the second truss span from the Pennsylvania side and could not be removed intact due to its deterioration. Crews employed a combination of sawing, drilling, sledgehammering, and torching to extract the distorted metal piece from the bridge’s structural supports. The removal process finished Tuesday night with the pin being sawn in half, and its segments removed by the evening, commission said.
Following the pin’s removal, work has shifted to replacing several steel components at the connection point, realigning structural elements, steel boring, and inserting a custom-fabricated replacement pin.
To stabilize the bridge during repairs, a unique “friction collar” was installed in late November and tensioned last week, allowing the bridge to be shut down safely for the intricate pin-replacement operation.
The bridge underwent an overhaul starting last January, including updates to its walkway and lighting.
During the current closure, the commission has provided shuttle bus service to facilitate pedestrian movement across the river between New Hope Borough and the City of Lambertville.
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