The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission says construction activities remain on pace to complete the Scudder Falls Toll Bridge’s second parallel span and open it to traffic with a phased-in travel shift over two days in mid-August.
In the interim, the 24/7 ramp closures will remain in effect on the downstream side of the I-295 EB/Taylorsville Road interchange (Exit 10) in Pennsylvania and the I-295 SB exit ramp to Route 29 SB and NB in New Jersey. Also, another round of overnight ramp closures are scheduled to be implemented next week at the I-295/Route 29 interchange (Exit 76).
Overall, the project is still on track – with some staging changes – to reach substantial completion by the end of December.
On or about August 16, the contractor will begin a two-day phase in of traffic onto the Scudder Falls Toll Bridge’s parallel downstream span and the reopening of ramps that are currently closed around the clock on the Yardley side of the I-295 EB/Taylorsville Road interchange and the I-295 SB exit ramp to Route 29 on the New Jersey side of the bridge. These four ramps have been closed and detoured since July 12. The sequencing of how the ramps will reopen has not yet been determined.
To bring the second bridge online, New Jersey-bound traffic will be moved off the current upstream span to the new span. This will be achieved by opening the reconstructed and widened I-295 EB approach segment in Pennsylvania along with new approach bridges that will carry I-295 EB across Taylorsville Road and the Delaware Canal. On the New Jersey side, the reconstructed I-295 SB segment and the two-span approach bridge over the NJ Route 29 NB bypass, the Delaware & Raritan Canal, and Route 175/Upper Ferry Road will open.
The project will then enter its third and final stage of construction. During this stage, the Scudder Falls Toll Bridge’s upstream span will carry two lanes of Pennsylvania-bound I-295 traffic with an auxiliary lane for accelerating and decelerating traffic at the two adjoining interchanges. Meanwhile, the bridge’s downstream span will carry two lanes of New Jersey-bound I-295 traffic with an auxiliary lane for accelerating and decelerating traffic at the two adjoining interchanges. This will allow for completion of the median barriers along I-295 in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania. After the median barrier and final paving is completed, three lanes will be available along with auxiliary lanes for ramps, on the mainline roadway and the bridge structures. This is expected to be completed by mid-December
Additional ramp closures and detours will be needed at the I-295/Route 29 interchange to carry out Stage 3 work activities in September and October. More information on these closures and detours will be announced after the Labor Day weekend. Additionally, the Route 29 SB bypass lane, which has been closed since March 2020, will reopen in September.
