June 29, 2009

Contact: Joe Donnelly (215) 862-7693 or Pete Peterson (215) 893-4297

DELAWARE WATER GAP, PA - The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission approved an engineering contract today to provide final design and post-design services for the implementation of open road tolling (ORT) at the Delaware Water Gap (I-80) Toll Bridge.

"Under normal conditions, open road tolling allows motorists equipped with E-ZPass transponders to pay their tolls while traveling at highway speeds," said Frank McCartney, Executive Director of the Commission. "No queuing. No slowing. No stopping. No hassles. Motorists will really benefit from the convenience of this new technology."

Open road tolling allows E-ZPass users to pay their toll while traveling at normal highway speeds by passing through an electronic array. Because express E-ZPass transponder readers configured for open road tolling can process 2,200 cars an hour as compared to 400 cars an hour by manual toll collection, the technology helps to reduce traffic and congestion at conventional toll plazas.

Today's action by the Commission puts the project on a track for possible completion by Memorial Day 2010. The Commission expects to put the actual construction work out to bid later this year.

A separate plan to install ORT at the I-78 toll plaza also is moving forward under a different contract previously authorized by the Commission. Like the I-80 facility, the I-78 ORT project schedule would allow for completion by Memorial Day 2010.

A concept plan for installing open road tolling at the Delaware Water Gap Toll Bridge was completed earlier this year and calls for the removal of the three left toll plaza booths and replacing them with a single open road tolling lane, which can process up to 2,200 vehicles an hour. This high processing rate we will enable the Commission to process more vehicles than it could from the three traditional E-ZPass lanes that are designated for removal. This technological solution will help mitigate some of the periodic traffic congestion that occurs at this busy river crossing.

Implementation of open road tolling at the Delaware Water Gap Toll Bridge, which has been fast-tracked by the Commission, constitutes the first phase of the rehabilitation of the bridge. The second phase, which includes the rehabilitation of the bridge and the addition of a lane in the westbound direction, is scheduled for 2015. The long lead time is needed because the geography of the bridge will make the task of properly designing the lane addition and obtaining environmental approvals a lengthy process.

The contract, in the amount of $691,637.53, was awarded to Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. of Philadelphia, Pa. Stantec was awarded a separate contract in November 2008 for a concept study and preliminary design work for the open road tolling system, which has now been completed.

The Delaware Water Gap Toll Bridge is a dual roadway, multi-span, steel plate structure that measures 2,465 feet in length. The bridge carries Interstate 80 across the Delaware River near Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, providing a gateway from eastern metropolitan areas to the Pocono tourist and recreational destinations. Part of the Appalachian Trail, the bridge offers both hikers and motorists a spectacular scenic view of the world famous Delaware Water Gap. The one-way toll plaza, located on the Pennsylvania approach, has 8 toll lanes in the westbound direction. The bridge carried an average of 53,900 vehicles per day across the bridge in 2008.

About the Commission

The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission was formed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey in 1934. It operates seven toll bridges and 13 toll-supported bridges, two of which are pedestrian-only spans. The Commission's jurisdiction extends along the Delaware River from the Philadelphia-Bucks County line north to the New Jersey/New York border. The bridges carried more than 140 million cars and trucks in 2008. For more information about the Commission and its various initiatives to deliver safer and more convenient bridge travel for its customers, please see: www.drjtbc.org.