New Hope-Lambertville Bridge May Reopen Earlier Than Projected

NEW HOPE, PA — Workers on Friday succeeded in installing a new steel pin connection on the closed New Hope-Lambertville Toll-Supported Bridge, marking another major milestone in efforts to get the 120-year-old bridge back into service.

The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission said the pin installation gives reason for optimism that the bridge could reopen to pedestrian crossings and Pennsylvania-bound traffic before the original Jan. 27 target date. The commission said an earlier-than-anticipated partial reopening might be achieved despite the brutal frigid conditions forecast for early next week.

The bridge has been shut down since Monday morning. The full closure to all vehicular and pedestrian traffic was expected to continue until January 27. The two-week-long closure was initiated so construction workers and engineers could remove and replace a deteriorated 4-inch-diameter, 18-inch-long steel pin that supports a critical joint of 13 structural steel members on the bridge’s second truss span from the Pennsylvania side. The pin was fully removed late Tuesday.

Next Steps

Although a new pin is now in place on the bridge, a variety of tasks still need to be completed before the structure can be partially reopened, said the bridge commission.

The work includes repairing other steel components in the area of the pin, depressurizing jacking equipment used for the pin replacement process, removing the custom-made “friction collar” bridge stabilization device used for the unprecedented repair, and demobilization of equipment and materials used during the pin replacement process.

The commission expects it will be able to provide another pin-replacement update on Tuesday. Barring any setbacks, the bridge remains on track to fully reopen to two-way vehicular sometime in mid-February.