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The Lumberville-Raven Rock Toll-Supported Pedestrian Bridge reopened to public use shortly before 3 p.m. Friday, May 3.

Project work will continue to take place on the bridge with walkway open for another three weeks.  Short-duration service disruptions are possbile from time to time during this period.  A portion of the Delaware Canal footpath on the bridge's Pennsylvania side also will remain closed to allow for completion of remaining project work.  Bicyclists, hikers, and sightseers should plan accordingly.

The Commission's goal is to complete all project elements in time for the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

The Commission is advancing a project for the rehabilitation of the 65-year-old Lumberville-Raven Rock Toll-Supported Pedestrian Bridge. Construction, which originally was envisioned for summer-fall 2012 is being postponed until late-winter/spring 2013 to accommodate the Lumberville business community.  (A press release announcing the project postponement is available here.) The work will include a range of improvements to the physical condition and safety features of the bridge and walkway approaches.

A 2010 annual inspection by engineers found the bridge was safe for the public's use, but was in overall poor condition. The rehabilitation is intended to bring the facility into a state of condition so it will not require any sustained closures for at least 15 years.

The project's total program cost (planning, design, construction, and all other costs) is expected to be a little more than $3 million and the work will be performed under the Commission's $1.2 billion Capital Improvement Program. Ultimately, the Commission's capital program costs are paid through the tolls the agency collects at its seven toll bridges. The Commission does not receive any federal or state revenues to finance its operations or projects.

An in-depth inspection of the superstructure was conducted to identify the extent and nature of needed repairs. Anticipated tasks associated with the project include repairs to the bridge deck and its approach sidewalks, superstructure repairs associated with steel deterioration, and upgrades to the lighting system, signing and fencing. The bridge also will be blast cleaned and painted. Other tasks will include repairs to the pier caps, treatment of the bridge abutments and wingwalls, and possible replacement of a retaining wall adjacent to the Pennsylvania abutment.

Due to the nature of the work, the rehabilitation project will necessitate suspension of the public's use of the bridge (closure) for a period of time while construction activities take place.

To raise public awareness of the project and generate comment regarding scheduling and staging from affected parties, the Commission is conducting a public involvement process for this project. Public involvement efforts on previous projects have helped the Commission to identify community impacts while fostering channels of communication and accurate information for the public.

A major element of this effort was an Open House the Commission hosted for local residents and other interested parties on February 8, 2012 in Lumberville, PA.

At the open house, engineers working on the project provided display boards showing preliminary design details and project scheduling alternatives. The public was invited to provide comment on the project and ask questions of project team members at the various viewing stations set up for the event.

A copy of the project fact sheet that was distributed at the open house may be viewed or downloaded by clicking here.

The various display boards that were shown at the open house may be viewed by clicking here.

A press release on the open house and a subsequent the comment-period time extension is available by clicking here.

The various work elements of the rehabilitation project will complement other work that was substantially completed in 2011 at the bridge under a separate capital improvement effort -- the Commission's Substructure Repair/Scour Remediation Project. At the Lumberville-Raven Rock bridge, the work included underwater scour remediation and repairs at Piers 1, 2, and 3 - namely the placement of concrete fill around pier aprons that were compromised over time and/or during flood events. (Scour is the leading cause of bridge collapses in the United States - accounting for 60 percent of the nation's highway bridge failures, according to a Federal Highway Administration report.) The Commission also undertook masonry repointing on some of the bridge piers and stone replacements on Pier 2.

The Lumberville-Raven Rock Toll-Supported Pedestrian Bridge connects the Lumberville section of Solebury Township, Pa. with the Raven Rock section of Delaware Township, N.J. The bridge's New Jersey landfall point is at Bulls Island State Park, which has parking lot, a boat launch area and a seasonal campground.

The footbridge is a multiple span suspension structure built by the famed John A. Roebling's Sons Company. Construction of the bridge was completed in 1947. The bridge is approximately 688 feet in length and has a nine-foot-wide deck made up of pre-cast, pre-stressed concrete sections.

The bridge piers and abutments date to 1853, when construction of the original bridge at the site -- a covered timber structure - commenced. Much of the original bridge remained in use from 1856 to 1944 when its poor condition necessitated that it be closed to travel.

The last major rehabilitation of the bridge occurred in 1993, when the entire bridge deck was reconstructed; abutments, wingwalls, and piers were repointed; approach walkways were refurbished; and a new lighting system was installed.

Individuals with questions or comments are encouraged to contact Richard McClellan with the Commission by calling 267-790-1063, sending e-mail to rmcclellan@drjtbc.org, or mailing correspondence to Mr. McClellan's attention at DRJTBC, 110 Wood and Grove Streets, Morrisville, PA. 19067.