Northerly Crossings Congestion Study

In July 2006, the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission released the findings and recommendation of its Northerly Crossings Corridor Congestion Mitigation Study. The comprehensive study assessed current and future transportation needs through the year 2030 on and around the Milford-Montague Toll Bridge, the Delaware Water Gap (I-80) Toll Bridge, and the Portland-Columbia Toll Bridge.  A range of conceptual improvement alternatives were identified to reduce traffic congestion at these facilities.

The study found that the primary transportation problem in the Corridor has been and continues to be traffic congestion during peak hours on the Delaware Water Gap (I-80) Toll Bridge. Traffic demand at the bridge increased by more than 25 percent between 1994 and 2002, a result of rapid population growth in northeastern Pennsylvania and employment growth in northern New Jersey. As a result, westbound traffic on the bridge currently operates at an unacceptable condition during Friday evening peak periods. The study determined that, within the next few years, eastbound traffic will operate at unacceptable conditions during Sunday PM and Monday AM peak periods, and westbound traffic volumes will be at unacceptable levels during weekday evening peak periods. Daily traffic volume at the crossing is projected to increase by approximately 65 percent by the year 2030.

To address the problems associated with congestion on and around the Delaware Water Gap (I-80) Toll Bridge, the study focused on three alternative I-80 widening concepts to improve the corridor. Rough order of magnitude cost estimates for these concepts, which extend from the Lackawanna Cut-Off Bridge in New Jersey to the SR 209 northbound interchange (Exit 309) in Pennsylvania, ranged from $490 million to $630 million (2006 estimates). The costs for implementing these concepts within the DRJTBC's jurisdiction range from $150 million to $270 million. Complementary improvements would need to be implemented within the respective jurisdictions of the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Departments of Transportation.

The Commission is currently working to develop respective memorandums of understanding with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the New Jersey Department of Transportation to set the parameters under which the Commission can work with these agencies to address the identified congestion issues throughout the I-80 corridor. Currently, PennDOT and NJDOT do not have I-80 projects in their respective Transportation Improvement Programs.

To mitigate the congestion issues in the near term, the study recommends that the Commission add an additional westbound lane within its jurisdiction at the Delaware Water Gap (I-80) Toll Bridge to provide a total of five lanes (two lanes in the eastbound direction and three lanes in the westbound direction). The study also recommends that the toll plaza be reconstructed to accommodate two Open Road Tolling (ORT), or highway-speed E-ZPass lanes, and five or six traditional mixed-use toll lanes (E-ZPass & manual cash collection). These steps will help to reduce congestion in the westbound direction at the toll plaza and would complement any long-term improvements to the corridor. Based on initial estimates, installation of ORT and construction of an additional lane could cost as much as $155 million to implement.

ORT allows E-ZPass users to pay their toll while traveling at normal highway speeds by passing through an electronic array.  This reduces traffic and congestion at standard conventional toll plazas.  The Commission will procure the services of an engineering firm to perform a conceptual study, with preliminary design scheduled to commence in 2009.  It is expected that construction of ORT could be completed in the next two to three years.  The Commission anticipates maintaining a conventional mixed-use toll plaza (combined manual cash transactions and E-ZPass lanes) at the location.

The improvements to the bridge would take place in two phases.  The first phase would be the addition of ORT.  The second phase of bridge improvements would include the addition of a westbound lane and is currently scheduled for 2015.  The ORT component would be designed to be compatible with the planned future addition of a westbound lane.

Traffic on the Milford-Montague Toll Bridge and toll plaza will be at acceptable levels through 2030, although future congestion levels on some of the adjacent intersections resulted in the recommendations for improvements at the Route 206/Old Mine Road intersection in Montague, New Jersey and the Route 206/SR 209 intersection in Milford, Pennsylvania. The study also recommended improved access to the sidewalk located along the north side of the bridge.

The study found that the Portland-Columbia Toll Bridge will operate at an acceptable level of service for the next 25 years with no congestion mitigation improvements needed. The study recommends implementing striping improvements to SR 611/Bridge Ramps intersection in Portland, Pennsylvania, including the addition of turn lanes to SR 611 to accommodate turns onto the bridge on ramps.

Additional information on the study is available on the project's Web site at www.northerlycrossings.com.

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