Calhoun Street Bridge Under Construction

MORRISVILLE, PA —The Calhoun Street Toll-Supported Bridge is getting repaired.

The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission (DRJTBC) said it has launched a project to repair failing mortar and loose stones on the in-river piers that support four of the agency’s non-toll bridges.

After completing work on the Lumberville-Raven Rock, the DRJTBC has turned downstream to the Calhoun Street Toll-Supported Bridge between Trenton, N.J., and Morrisville.

The Calhoun Street Bridge has six piers that need to be addressed, officials said. The bridge was built in 1859-60.

Based on these criteria, the four stone piers supporting the Lumberville-Raven Rock Toll-Supported Pedestrian Bridge between Solebury and Delaware Township, N.J., were addressed first.

A contractor has mobilized equipment and personnel and started work at the Calhoun Street bridge.

The bridge will remain open for use while masons work below the structure’s walkway surface over the coming weeks.

The two other bridges needing pier repairs are the Riverton-Belvidere Toll-Supported Bridge between Lower Mt. Bethel, PA. and Belvidere, N.J.; and the Washington Crossing Toll-Supported Bridge between Upper Makefield, PA. and Hopewell Township, N.J.

The sequencing of which of these two bridges will be worked on first has yet to be determined.
Like Lumberville-Raven Rock, the Calhoun Street (six piers), Riverton-Belvidere (three piers), and Washington Crossing (five piers) bridges should remain in service while undergoing masonry repairs.

Collectively, the pier repairs at the four bridges are expected to take 30 weeks to complete, a schedule that will carry over into 2025.

Except for a single reinforced concrete pier at Washington Crossing, the piers at all four bridges date back to the mid-19th century: Washington Crossing’s date back to 1833-34, Riverton-Belvidere’s to 1835-36, and Lumberville-Raven Rock’s to 1853-55.

The need to repair the bridge piers’ stonework is the result of recent inspections. Following federal law, the Commission inspects its bridges every two years.