EWING, NJ –For the first time in four months, travel restrictions for the Scudder Falls Bridge Replacement Project will be pared back to less disruptive proportions.
Only two new travel changes are expected during the upcoming week.
- Early on Sunday morning (July 14) – shortly after midnight – tolling will begin on the new Scudder Falls Toll Bridge’s first completed span. Tolls will be assessed upon vehicles moving at highway speeds on I-295 across the bridge from New Jersey to Pennsylvania (PA-bound direction).
An all-electronic tolling gantry on the bridge’s Pennsylvania side will assess tolls via E-ZPass transponder readers or high-resolution camera images of vehicle license plates without E-ZPass. Non-EZPass customers will receive TOLL BY PLATE invoices in the mail and will be charged higher rates due to the additional costs of looking up motor vehicle registrations, preparing and processing billings, and mailing.
The base Class 1 passenger vehicle rates (cars, pickup trucks, motorcycles, SUVs; two axles and less than eight feet high) are $1.25 for E-ZPass and $2.60 for TOLL BY PLATE. The Commission is urging motorists to acquire E-ZPass accounts to save money and mitigate the possibility of being hit with violation fees if they are late paying TOLL BY PLATE bills.
The toll processor for the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission — which owns and operates the Scudder Falls Toll Bridge — is the regional New Jersey E-ZPass Customer Service Center. (Note: While the back-office toll processor has New Jersey in its name, it is not a state-affiliated operation. Run by Conduent, Inc., it serves seven toll agencies operating or domiciled in New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania.) E-ZPass accounts can be established through the New Jersey E-ZPass Customer Service Center at www.ezpassnj.com or dialing 1-888-AUTO-TOLL (1-888-288-6865).
2. The on-ramp to I-295 SB from NJ Route 175/River Road in Ewing will be shut down for roughly a year starting approximately 5 a.m. Monday, July 15. Affected motorists should use the nearby on-ramp to I-295 SB off the downstream roundabout at the I-295/Route 29 interchange.
During the week of July 14, New Jersey-bound I-295 traffic will continue to move across the old Scudder Falls Bridge while Pennsylvania-bound I-295 traffic will move across the new Scudder Falls Toll Bridge’s first completed span.
The full list of Scudder Falls Bridge Replacement Project travel restrictions for the week of July 14 is as follows:
New Jersey side
- I-295 NB (PA-Bound) – Intermittent off-peak single-lane pattern extending onto the new complete span of the Scudder Falls Toll Bridge 8 p.m. to 2 p.m. (next day) Monday, July 15, through Friday, July 19.
- NJ Route 175/River Road Access Ramp to I-295 SB –Full uninterrupted closure for at least one year starting approximately 5 a.m. Monday, July 15.
- I-295/Route 29 Interchange (Exit 76) –All ramps and roundabouts open this week.
Pennsylvania side
- I-295 WB from the bridge to the Route 332/Newtown-Yardley Road interchange (Exit 8)– Off-peak intermittent single-lane travel – if needed for construction – 8 p.m. to 2 p.m. (next day) Monday, July 15, through Friday, July 19.
- I-295 EB/SB approaching the Scudder Falls Bridge and continuing across the bridge to NJ – Off-peak intermittent single-lane travel – if needed for construction activities – 10 a.m. to 6 a.m. (next day) Monday, July 15, through Friday, July 19.
- Taylorsville Road north of I-295–Intermittent single-lane patterns with possible flagger-controlled travel 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, July 15, to Friday, July 19.
- Taylorsville Road south of I-295 –Intermittent single-lane patterns with possible flagger-controlled travel 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, July 15, to Friday, July 19.
- Woodside Road – Intermittent right or left lane closures with passage maintained in each direction and/or flagging-controlled travel 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, July 15, to Friday, July 19.
- PA Route 32/River Road – Intermittent alternating traffic controlled by flaggers 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, July 15, to Friday, July 19.
Weekends
Aside from any carryover of Friday off-peak travel restrictions into Saturday, no weekend lane or ramp closures are scheduled for the weekends of July 13-14 or 20-21.
Canal Towpath Closures near I-295 and the Scudder Falls Bridge
Pennsylvania – Intermittent closures of the Delaware Canal towpath may be implemented on weekdays through the month of July. New Jersey – Intermittent closures of the Delaware & Raritan Canal towpath may be necessary on some weekdays during the month of July.
The aforementioned scheduled travel restrictions are subject to change due to weather, emergency, traffic, and equipment/materialsmobilization considerations. Motorists are urged to allow extra time to reach their destinations, reduce speeds and exercise caution when travelling through project work areas.
More information on the Scudder Falls Bridge Replacement Project is available at www.scudderfallsbridge.com.
