Delaware Water Gap (I-80) Toll Bridge Rehabilitation Project

Originally conceived as a bearing replacement initiative, the scope -- and name -- of this construction project has changed. Because of the multiple work elements, it is now being referred to as the Delaware Water Gap Toll Bridge Rehabilitation Project.  It is anticipated that the project will be put out to bid in early July 2010.

Work under this project includes replacing existing bearings, cleaning and painting of the entire structure, developing repairs to the bridge deck and deck joints, and sealing the bridge deck. The Commission hopes to complete the entire project sometime in the 2010-11 time frame, extending the useful life of the bridge and avoiding future emergency closures.

The origins of the project date back to early 2008 when the Commission initiated steps to address signs of deterioration on the bridge's steel bearing assemblies that link the bridge superstructure to its piers in the river. The need for repairs was identified in the Commission's annual bridge inspection reports and by its maintenance personnel.

Bearings are a critical bridge element; they support the superstructure of the bridge at a constant elevation while transferring forces to the substructure of the bridge. Bridge bearings also allow small movements of the bridge to take place, reducing stresses on the superstructure and substructure. These movements can be caused by traffic, temperature changes, shrinkage, and other factors.

On March 25, 2008, the Commission awarded a design engineering contract to Cherry, Weber & Associates of Phillipsburg, N.J. Under the contract, engineers assessed the conditions of the bearings, bridge seats and pier caps and prepared a report on how the Commission might carry out repairs. The engineers also evaluated the condition of the bridge deck. The work included a load rating, fatigue evaluation of the existing structure, chloride sampling and testing, and ground-penetrating radar.

While the bridge was - and is - considered safe for travel, the concept-study work by Cherry Weber confirmed that deterioration was occurring in a large number of the bridge bearings. Although the repair or remediation work was not identified as a critical necessity, prudent management dictated that timely action would mitigate emergency situations that might require extensive lane closures years from now.

For purposes of longevity and cost effectiveness, the Commission subsequently decided that it would be more advantageous and rational to replace all of the bridge's bearings instead of repairing virtually all of them. The Commission also decided it would be better to repaint the entire bridge rather than proceed with the original concept of spot painting. (The bridge was last painted in 1978.) The Commission determined that the long-term benefits of bearing replacement and full painting would offset any additional costs.

Due to the change in project scope, the Commission voted at its January 26, 2009 meeting to authorize a modification in its engineering consultant contract with Cherry Weber. This change ostensibly turned the original bearing-remediation-project concept into a modestly more extensive bearing replacement project with complete painting.

The Delaware Water Gap (I-80) Toll Bridge actually consists of two separate, adjacent spans. At approximately 2,465 feet in length, it is easily the longest of the 20 bridges in the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission's inventory.

The bridge crosses the river between the Borough of Delaware Water Gap, Pa. and Hardwick Township, N.J., serving as the primary gateway between eastern metropolitan centers and Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains vacation and recreation areas. The bridge also is a major link for the Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Maine to Georgia. Both hikers and motorists are afforded spectacular scenic views of the world-famous Delaware Water Gap when crossing the bridge.