Weeks Of Closures On Bridge Linking South Jersey, PA Starting Soon

BRIDGEPORT, NJ — Starting Monday, the Commodore Barry Bridge will reduce to one lane in each direction every weeknight for several weeks, impacting travel on the span that brings South Jerseyans closer to Philadelphia.

The closures will occur weeknights from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. as crews replace the bridge's barrier wall. The work will take around four or five weeks, weather permitting, according to the Delaware River Port Authority, which operates the bridge.

Drivers using the bridge on weeknights should expect delays, especially on Thursday and Friday nights, when shore-bound travelers typically bring heavier eastbound traffic.

The Commodore Barry Bridge is one of several that spans the Delaware River, linking Gloucester County and Chester, Pennsylvania.

The bridge's movable barrier wall separates eastbound and westbound traffic. It can be adjusted to accommodate traffic demand on the five-lane span.

Before the concrete barrier was installed in the early 2000s, there was no physical separation between eastbound and westbound traffic. There was merely an empty buffer lane and overhead signals to indicate lane direction, the DRPA says.

Crews are replacing the concrete barrier with a modern steel system and a new barrier transfer machine that enhances safety and offers better crash protection, the DRPA said in an advisory.

Similar steel barriers have been installed on the Ben Franklin and Walt Whitman bridges, which the DRPA also manages.

The upgrades are part of a $220 million rehabilitation project for the Commodore Barry Bridge that's slated for completion in 2028. Work will also include blast-cleaning and repainting the bridge, concrete deck repairs and other safety upgrades.

On average, 41,000 vehicles cross the bridge each day.