Delaware River Toll Bridge Inspections Begin

YARDLEY, PA — The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission has started conducting biennial inspections on its eight toll bridges.

Drivers may encounter periodic daytime lane closures at toll bridges operated by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission as the agency’s engineers and consultants conduct field inspections over the next few months.

Ground inspections of the bridges are taking place this week, with more detailed inspections with travel restrictions at individual bridges set for the week of April 13.

The inspections guide the Commission in identifying structural, operational, and safety issues that need to be addressed by the agency’s maintenance crews or through future capital projects.

While much of the work is out of sight to the public, lane restrictions are sometimes needed at a bridge or on Commission-owned feeder roads and approach structures.

Travel restrictions are generally limited to off-peak, single-lane closures. Traffic impacts, if any, are minor.

This year’s inspections will occur at eight toll bridges: Trenton-Morrisville (Route 1).; Scudder Falls (I-295); Milford-Montague (Route 206), Delaware Water Gap (I-80); Portland-Columbia (Routes 611, 46, and 94); Easton-Phillipsburg (Route 22); I-78; and New Hope-Lambertville (Route 202).

The Commission performs bridge inspections annually. Its toll bridges are inspected in odd-numbered years and its toll-supported bridges (non-toll) are examined in even-numbered years.

Under this process, each Commission bridge receives a full examination every two years, a requirement established by the Federal Highway Administration and the National Bridge Inspection Standards.

The findings are published in the Commission’s annual inspection reports posted on the Commission website at: http://www.drjtbc.org/documents/inspection/.