STATE NEWS

Turnpike agencies detail two options for Delaware River Bridge replacement

Planners are currently evaluating two primary alternatives: building a new six-lane bridge next to the existing span, or constructing the new bridge in stages

The Delaware River Bridge in an overhead view looking from New Jersey. (Credit: PA Turnpike Commission)

  • State

The long-planned replacement project for the Delaware River Bridge, which carries the Pennsylvania and New Jersey turnpikes and I-95, is moving forward, according to officials from the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

Planners are currently evaluating two primary alternatives: building a new six-lane bridge next to the existing span, or constructing the new bridge in stages while shifting traffic from the old span to the new sections as they are completed.

The first alternative would cause traffic impacts for four years, while the second phase will cause traffic impacts for eight years.

The two alternatives will be studied as officials move the planning and study process forward. 

As officials looked at the existing bridge, it was concluded the Delaware River Bridge “cannot be rehabilitated” to meet the U.S. Secretary of the Interior’s standards or meet the purpose and need. The Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office concurred with the review, and the New Jersey Historic Preservation Office continues their review. 

The project is being evaluated as officials look at natural resources, including wetlands, aquatic vegetation, threatened and endangered species, migratory birds, open space, and the coastal zone. They will also look at impacts on historic resources, neighborhoods, commercial and industrial development, transit routes, pedestrian trails, noise, air quality, and navigation. 

The Federal Highway Administration has asked a number of county, state, federal, and tribal agencies to take part in the review process for a new bridge. The U.S. Coast Guard is soliciting feedback from mariners on a potential new bridge that would be 135 feet above the water.

    A look at the two alternatives. (Credit: LevittownNow.com)
 
 


If the bridge project moves forward, it will need a budget and a number of county, state, and federal permits, including for natural resources, clean water, waterfront development, and erosion and sedimentation control. 

The replacement plan for the 70-year-old structure aims to improve the bridge, ease congestion, and support the completion of I-95 to make it continuous throughout the Mid-Atlantic, officials said. The span across the Delaware River became part of I-95 in 2018 after the interchange project in Bristol Township was completed.

The project study area includes Bristol Borough and Bristol Township, and Burlington Township and Florence Township in Burlington County, New Jersey.

The project, which carries an estimated 67,000 vehicles daily, has been in the planning and evaluation phase since 2022. 

Preliminary engineering and work on a supplemental environmental impact statement are currently underway. 

Planners stated they initially looked at nine alternatives and a no-build option.

Final design could begin in 2029, with construction potentially starting by the end of the decade and work expected to be completed in the early 2030s.

Crews will be performing field work and investigations around the bridge through 2026 as they study various factors needed for a new bridge. 

Impacts to properties in Bristol Township and Burlington County, New Jersey, will be identified during the final design phase after preliminary engineering and environmental clearance.

Officials are also looking at options to improve pedestrian and biking options on and around the bridge area.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and New Jersey Turnpike Authority emphasized that the current bridge is safe and undergoes a comprehensive inspection every two years. 

The structure did experience a weeks-long closure in 2017 after a fracture of a bridge truss required emergency repairs.

Public meetings are being held this week to discuss the current stage of the process:

  • Pennsylvania In-Person Public Meeting Open House: Wednesday, Oct. 15, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Benjamin Franklin Middle School at 6401 Mill Creek Road in Levittown.
  • New Jersey In-Person Public Meeting Open House: Thursday, Oct. 16, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Florence Township Municipal Building at 711 Broad Street in Florence.


The public can also review meeting materials and provide feedback online through Nov. 14 on the project website


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