January 7, 2010 

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

EASTON, PA - The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission today announced its affiliation with the New Jersey's 511 Travel Alert System and will begin using the system to alert motorists about potential traffic delays arising from the Express E-ZPass/Open Road Tolling installation project for the I-78 Toll Bridge.

Construction on the six-month, $5.6 million project is scheduled to begin Friday evening with work crews setting up barriers on the I-78 westbound approach roadway leading to the bridge's toll plaza in Williams Township, Pa.

The project work-site preparation work is expected to last through the weekend and will require four of the seven lanes at the toll plaza to be taken out of service from 8 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday. At that time, the toll plaza will operate with only four toll booths for the duration of the project. The toll booths being taken out of service will be to the left side as a westbound motorist approaches the toll plaza.

Recognizing the possibility of traffic delays, he Commission will utilize New Jersey's 511 Travel Alert System to alert westbound I-78 motorists about the project before leaving New Jersey via the I-78 Toll Bridge across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania.

"We have been using NJ511 for several months on an informal basis and we are thoroughly impressed with its performance and capabilities," said Frank G. McCartney, the Commission's executive director. "Given the significance of the I-78 Express E-ZPass/ORT project we are going to utilize the NJ511 system to post an ongoing alert about the construction work and potential traffic delays in the westbound direction. We will refine the alert once we have a better grasp of what the actual traffic impacts are."

The NJ511 travel information system consists of an easy-to-dial phone number - 511 - and real-time traffic Web site, www.nj511.info. Motorists using a hands-free-phone device can access the system while traveling westbound on I-78 in New Jersey before approaching the river bridge. Traffic and travel information on the system is managed by a partnership of public agencies - now including the Bridge Commission - led by the New Jersey's Department of Transportation, Division of State Police, and Turnpike Authority.

Once completed, the Express E-ZPass/ORT project will allow motorists equipped with E-ZPass to pay their tolls electronically while driving at highway speeds. If the project work goes as currently scheduled, the new toll collection system should be operational by the Memorial Day weekend.

In addition to utilization of the NJ511 system, the Commission is taking a series of steps to alert motorists about the project and potential traffic impacts on I-78 westbound:

• Variable message signs have been put in place on the approaches to the bridge and toll plaza with the following verbiage -- Toll plaza work/To begin about Jan. 8/Plan for possible delays;
• The toughest phase of the project - requiring closure of four toll booth lanes at the toll plaza - will take place during one of the lowest travel weekends of the year; and
• The toll gates at the facility will be removed prior to the start of construction activities to facilitate increased throughput at the toll plaza's remaining lanes in operation. (A new camera-based toll violator tracking system has been installed at the location to identify and track toll scofflaws.)

The Commission suggeststhat motoristsconsider using the Easton-Phillipsburg (Route 22) Toll Bridge as an alternative route when traveling I-78 westboundduring this construction project.

The goal of the Express E-ZPass/ORT project is to improve traffic capacity, operations and safety at the toll plaza. Once Express E-ZPass technology is installed, motorists driving vehicles (cars and trucks) equipped with E-ZPass will be able to pay their tolls while driving at highway speeds. E-ZPass customers would have the option of driving through an array of high-speed transponder readers, avoiding the necessity of slowing down or stopping. Express E-ZPass lanes can reduce traffic congestion by processing up to 1800 cars per hour per lane as compared to 360 cars per hour per lane by manual toll collection.

To reap the benefits of the system upgrades, the Commission is urging motorists to get E-ZPass accounts by going to www.ezpassdrjtbc.com or calling1-800-872-5061.

About the Commission

The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission was formed by the states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania 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 initiatives to deliver safer and more convenient bridge travel for its customers, please see: www.drjtbc.org.