Frank G. McCartney Executive Director

Welcome to the Web site for the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission.  We hope you will find this site to be informative and helpful.

Our motto - "Preserving Our Past, Enhancing Our Future" - is the underpinning of everything we do at the Commission. Whether it is a construction crew rehabilitating a century-old truss bridge, a maintenance crew plowing and salting a bridge's approach roadway, an engineer designing solutions to reduce congestion and improve safety on our bridges, or a toll-booth attendant providing directions to a motorist, we strive daily to provide efficient, cost-effective service to the traveling public.

One part of our mission is to keep the public informed about our activities and endeavors.  This site has information on our services and projects.  These include our E-ZPass electronic toll-collection system, our Compact Authorized Investment grant initiative to local communities, and our extensive capital improvement plan.  There also are links to financial information, procurement activities, press releases, and traffic counts.

On December 21, 2009, the Commission kicked off its 75th year of operations.  The Commission's authorizing legislation was signed into law in New Jersey on December 18, 1934 and in Pennsylvania on December 19, 1934.  Its federal compact was subsequently approved by Congress on August 30, 1935.

As the Commission moves forward into 2010, it will be involved with some of the most exciting and challenging projects in its history.

At the forefront of our agenda is a comprehensive $1 billion capital improvement program that was initiated in 2001. The most sweeping construction effort in the Commission's history, this plan is enabling the agency to refurbish, expand and modernize its bridge network to better meet 21^st Century transportation demands.

When all the work is done, the Commission will be ideally positioned to serve the driving public -- improving the flow of commercial goods, easing traffic bottlenecks for commuters, and reducing harmful motor-vehicle emissions at its crossings and facilities.

The Commission has now reached the halfway point in its capital improvement program, having completed rehabilitation or improvement projects on 10 of its 20 bridges: Portland-Columbia Pedestrian, Uhlerstown-Frenchtown; Northampton Street (Easton-Phillipsburg "free bridge"); New Hope-Lambertville Toll (Route 202); New Hope-Lambertville Toll-Supported; Lower Trenton ("Trenton Makes Bridge"); Centre Bridge-Stockton; Riverton-Belvidere; Milford-Montague Toll, Trenton-Morrisville Toll (Route 1).

Last year, in fact, marked the busiest year to date in the execution of the Commission's capital program.  Several major project completions were achieved during 2009:

• The Trenton-Morrisville (Route 1) Toll Bridge Rehabilitation and Widening Project was brought to a close with a rededication ceremony held on November 12. This $102 million project widened the bridge to carry an auxiliary northbound lane and included a complete reconstruction of the bridge deck, ramp Improvements, and safety upgrades.  The project reached substantial completion two weeks ahead of its original schedule and came in within its budget.
• The completion of $19.1 million rehabilitation of the Milford-Montague Toll Bridge, which began in March 2008, was commemorated on July 21 with a ceremony that included local dignitaries, military veterans and a rousing rendition of the National Anthem by a member of the Metropolitan Opera.  The project included replacement of the bridge's roadway deck, new approach roadway pavements, and a new toll plaza.
• A project that began in late 2007 to rehabilitate 4.2 miles of Interstate-78 in New Jersey reached substantial completion on October 2.  This project addressed cracking of the concrete slabs and settlement of the roadway due to heavy truck traffic along the I-78 corridor.
• A new system of video cameras and radio communications -- the Commission's Electronic Surveillance and Security System -- was fully installed and operational during the year.  This system has greatly improved the Commission's ability to protect its critical public infrastructure and further enhanced its ability to respond to major incidents, such as flooding, and to assist local communities when needed.

As the Commission crosses into the new year of 2010, a series of other exciting projects will draw to a close, begin construction or take significant steps toward construction in the years to come.  Motorists can expect to see the following in the early part of this year:

• On January 8, the Commission will kickoff its I-78 Express E-ZPass/Open Road Tolling Project.  When completed, this initiative will enable motorists equipped with E-ZPass to pay their tolls electronically while driving at highway speeds.  The $5.6 million project will outfit the Commission's I-78 toll plaza in Williams Township, PA with two Express E-ZPass lanes that should be operational by the Memorial Day weekend.
• Within the first couple months of the year, the Commission will remove the gates at its four busiest toll bridges -- I-78, Trenton-Morrisville (Route 1), Delaware Water Gap (I-80), and Easton-Phillipsburg (Route 22).
• An advertising campaign urging motorists to get E-ZPass transponders because they will enable drivers to reap the maximum time-saving and convenience benefits of these improvements.

Also in 2010, the Commission will commence work on the Calhoun Street Toll-Supported Bridge Rehabilitation Project, the Washington Crossing Toll-Supported Bridge Near-Term Improvements Project, and the Riegelsville Toll-Supported Bridge Rehabilitation Project.  Finally, the Commission plans to move to the next level of preparation for the $310 million I-95/Scudder Falls Bridge Improvement Project -- the largest capital initiative in the agency's 75 year history.  This work will include the completion of the Environmental Assessment public review process and a comment period that will draw to a close on February 4.

The Commission's Compact Authorized Investment (CAI) grant partnership program also will continue another year; the Commission extended the project-completion deadline for the popular municipal transportation improvement assistance program by an additional year -- until December 31, 2010.  This unique grant program has enabled dozens of Delaware River region communities to pursue transportation-related improvements, offsetting costs that might otherwise result in higher tax burdens for local residents.

Pennsylvania and New Jersey residents need a transportation network that meets tomorrow's needs, not one that struggles to keep up with yesterday's demands. At the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, we are attempting to do our part to fulfill that objective every day.

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Frank G. McCartney has served as the Executive Director of the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission since May 1999. As executive director, he manages a $46 million annual operating budget and oversees a staff of roughly 340 full-time employees. McCartney also is directing the Commission's $1 billion comprehensive capital improvement program to preserve, enhance, protect and better manage the agency's 20 bridges.

In addition, McCartney is a member of the Board of Directors of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), which operates all public transportation in Philadelphia and its suburban counties and has a $1 billion yearly budget.

He previously served as a commissioner of the Delaware River Port Authority. Prior to joining the Commission, McCartney managed an environmental specialty contracting company ranked by Engineering News Record as among the top five in the country.

McCartney is vice chairman of the E-ZPass Inter Agency Group (IAG) Executive Committee and serves on the board of the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA).  He was elected by his peers at the IBTTA to serve as the organization's Second Vice President for 2010. 

The IBTTA is the only worldwide alliance of toll operators and associated industries that provides a forum for sharing knowledge and ideas to promote and enhance toll-financed transportation services.

A resident of Montgomery County, PA, he holds both a Bachelor of Arts Degree and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Scranton.  He is a member of the University of Scranton's Alumni Board of Governors.

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