LOWER MAKEFIELD, PA – The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission today reminded motorists that a series of traffic shifts and travel changes remains scheduled for implementation in the vicinity of the Scudder Falls (I-295) Toll Bridge between Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.
If all goes as planned, the bridge’s second completed span and flanking closed interchange ramps (three in Pennsylvania and one in New Jersey) will be opened to traffic by the start of the morning peak commuting period at 6 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 18.
The transition process to establish a new travel pattern for New Jersey-bound I-295 traffic near the bridge is tentatively scheduled to begin around 8 a.m. Tuesday. The work would then continue through the day, progressing from the New Jersey side back toward Pennsylvania through day and overnight hours. I-295 EB in Pennsylvania and I-295 SB in New Jersey will be restricted to a single lane during off-peak hours – 9 a.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday – to allow for this work.
When the transition is completed, a new temporary travel pattern will be established with traffic shifted to the outside lanes through the 4.4-mile-long project area in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The upstream bridge span completed in July 2019 will carry two lanes of thru-traffic in the Pennsylvania-bound direction and an additional auxiliary lane for traffic entering from the Route 29 interchange in New Jersey. The downstream span will carry two lanes of thru-traffic in the New Jersey-bound direction and an additional auxiliary lane for traffic entering from the Taylorsville Road interchange in Pennsylvania.
During overnight hours Tuesday night into early Wednesday, four exit and entry ramps along I-295 in New Jersey-bound direction will be brought back into service after being shut down for reconstruction and realignment work since July 12. The ramps are:
- I-295 SB exit ramp to NJ Route 29 (Exit 76), which is the first exit ramp after crossing the Scudder Falls Toll Bridge into New Jersey;
- Taylorsville Road northbound entry ramp onto I-295 EB and the Scudder Falls Toll Bridge on the Pennsylvania side;
- Taylorsville Road southbound entry ramp onto I-295 EB and the Scudder Falls Toll Bridge on the Pennsylvania side; and
- I-295 EB exit ramp to Taylorsville Road (Exit 10), which is the last exit ramp before the Scudder Falls Toll Bridge on the Pennsylvania side.
Additional travel restrictions to complete the project will be needed sometime after Labor Day. These will largely involve ramp closures in the area of the I-295/Route 29 interchange (Exit 76) on the New Jersey side of the bridge. More information, including duration and detours, on these travel restrictions is expected to be made available in early September.
Overall, the project remains on pace to reach substantial completion by the end of December. This is when the final travel configuration can be implemented with I-295 having three travel lanes in each direction on the bridge’s approaches in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The completed dual-span bridge, meanwhile, will have three thru-travel lanes and dual shoulders both spans. The upstream span will have an additional auxiliary lane for Pennsylvania-bound traffic. The downstream span will have two auxiliary lanes for New Jersey-bound traffic. Final completion for the project’s remaining punch-list work is late May 2022.
Shared-Use Pedestrian/Bicycle Facility
The bridge’s shared-use pedestrian/bicycle facility and corresponding ramps in New Jersey and Pennsylvania will not open before the Labor Day weekend. The earliest possible opening would be sometime in the early fall. (Note: Under the construction contract, the contractor has until the project’s substantial completion deadline (mid-December) to complete the new facility, which is on the Scudder Falls Toll Bridge’s upstream span. The facility will connect with the towpaths for the Delaware Canal in Pennsylvania and the Delaware & Raritan Canal in New Jersey.
IMPORTANT NOTE – All dates, travel restrictions, and facility openings identified above are subject to change due to weather, emergencies, traffic, and equipment/materials availability.
Motorists are urged to allow extra time to reach their destinations, reduce speeds and exercise caution when travelling through project work areas.
More information on the Scudder Falls Bridge Replacement Project is available at www.scudderfallsbridge.com.
