The effort to replace the functionally obsolete and congestion-prone Scudder Falls (I-95) Bridge continued to advance with the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission’s approval of three engineering contracts to provide construction inspection services for replacing and demolishing the existing Scudder Falls Bridge, as well as improvements to the Pennsylvania and New Jersey approaches to the bridge.
Land-based construction activities are currently expected to begin in the next 4 to 6 weeks. The Commission estimates that in-water construction activities related to the project will begin in mid-summer.
Each of the three engineering consulting firms selected to provide construction inspection services will be responsible for monitoring and overseeing specific areas of the project’s construction field activities. They also will be responsible for ensuring that the construction work – which is being performed by the Trumbull Corporation — and materials conform with the Commission’s plans and specifications.
Contracts approved by the Commission include:
- Construction Inspections Services for the Main River Bridge to Parson Brinckerhoff, Incorporated of Lawrenceville, NJ for an amount not-to-exceed $7,776,718.32. Under the contract, the firm will be responsible for construction inspection services for the demolition of the existing Scudder Falls Bridge and construction of a replacement bridge over the Delaware River.
- Construction Inspection Services for the Pennsylvania Approach to the new Scudder Falls Bridge to TRC Engineers, Inc. of Plymouth Meeting, PA for an amount not-to-exceed $6,515,220.03. TRC Engineers will be responsible for providing construction inspection services for various aspects of the projects in Pennsylvania, including improvements to the Taylorsville Road/I-95 Interchange in Pennsylvania; the widening of I-95 in Pennsylvania; replacement of the I-95 bridges over the Delaware Canal and Taylorsville Road; the construction of the Commissions first All Electronic Tolling Facility; and other project elements.
- Construction Inspection Services for the New Jersey Approach to the Scudder Falls Bridge to Gannett Fleming, Inc. of South Plainfield, NJ for an amount not-to-exceed $6,568,103.32. Gannett Fleming will provide construction inspection services for certain project elements in New Jersey, including reconstruction to the I-95/Route 29/Route 175 Interchange in New Jersey; the widening of I-95; the replacement of the I-95 approach bridges; bridge-mounted utility conduits under these bridges; and other project elements.
While the existing bridge is safe for current use, it is nearing the end of its useful life and is classified on the National Bridge Inventory list as “functionally obsolete” due to concerns with capacity, safety deficiencies, shoulders, and poor approach roadway geometry.
The Scudder Falls Bridge Replacement Project involves a heavily commuted 4.4-mile portion of the I-95 corridor extending from the Route 332/Yardley-Newtown Road interchange (exit 49) in Bucks County, PA and the Bear Tavern Road/Route 579 interchange (exit 2) in Mercer County, NJ. The congestion-prone highway segment is a choke point for job-commuter traffic between the two states.
