EWING, NJ –The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission today warned motorists who use I-295 northbound for evening commutes between Route 1 and the Scudder Falls Bridge to avoid the busy roadway segment Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this week.
As previously announced, I-295 NB (PA-bound) will be reduced to a single lane (one travel lane instead of three lanes) for an uninterrupted “high-intensity construction cycle” (HICC) in the vicinity of the CR-579/Bear Tavern Road interchange (Exit 75) in Ewing starting around 5 a.m. Monday, July 8, and continuing without interruption until 2 p.m. Thursday, July 11.
While the single-lane pattern may cause some delays and backups at any time, the most severe congestion is expected to occur during evening peak commuting times — 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. — on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. During these times, traffic queuing of two miles or more is likely with corresponding travel delays of an hour or more.
Due to these possible conditions, the Commission is urging affected Pennsylvania-bound commuters on I-295 NB in Mercer County to postpone their travel or use the Trenton-Morrisville (Route 1) as an alternative on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.
The rare around-the-clock single-lane travel pattern is needed so work crews can construct new transitional crossover lanes from the existing I-295 NB roadway to a recently completed approach roadway that will bring traffic to the new Scudder Falls Toll Bridge’s first completed span. There is a difference in the grades between the old I-295 NB segment and the new bridge’s approach roadway that construction crews need to address. This work will involve excavation, grading, paving and other related tasks.
The HICC work is expected to progress sufficiently by early Wednesday, July 10, to allow for I-295 NB traffic to proceed onto the new approach segment and across the new bridge in the Pennsylvania-bound direction. Toll collections at the new bridge are expected to begin 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, July 14.
Tolls will be assessed upon vehicles traveling at highway speeds off the bridge into Pennsylvania. Motorists should not stop while traveling through the new tolling point. No cash will be accepted; there are no toll booths. Vehicles outfitted with operational E-ZPass transponders will be charged lower rates. Meanwhile, non-E-ZPass-equipped vehicles will have their license plates recorded and the owners will be sent TOLL BY PLATE invoices through the U.S. Mail. TOLL BY PLATE motorists will be charged higher toll rates. The full toll rate schedule for the new bridge is available at: http://www.drjtbc.org/travel-info/scudder-falls-toll-bridge-rates/
Note: 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.
