EWING, NJ – Weekday job commuters who travel on NJ Route 29 SB from points north of the Scudder Falls Toll Bridge could encounter delays on Monday morning, March 2, because of a new travel pattern that is expected to be in effect through the I-295/Route 29 interchange.
Commuters are urged allow extra time to reach their destinations because the interchange’s Route 29 SB bypass lane is scheduled to be closed to traffic starting noon Friday, Feb. 28. Affected southbound traffic will then be shifted through the interchange’s adjoining connector ramps and roundabouts for travel toward Trenton and other points south. While this pattern is expected to be in place through the rest of Friday and the weekend, Monday will be the first workday that the peak-period southbound commuters will encounter the diverted travel route.
The Route 29 SB travel shift is currently scheduled to be in place as a one-week test pattern. If it works as planned without major delays or incidents, it will be extended for up to 18 months – ending at some point in late August 2021. (CLICK HERE TO VIEW DETOUR MAP)
Traffic on the Scudder Falls Toll Bridge, both directions of I-295, and Route 29 NB is not anticipated to be affected while the Route 29 SB diversion plan is in place.
Reminder: A motorist approaching a roundabout must always yield to traffic already in a roundabout; vehicles in a roundabout always have the right-of-way.
The full schedule of travel restrictions for the Scudder Falls Bridge Replacement Project for the week of March 1 is as follows:
New Jersey side
- Route 29 NB Bypass – To be reopened during the morning of Friday, Feb. 28.
- Route 29 SB Bypass – An around-the-clock closure with a shift of traffic through the adjoining I-295/Route 29 interchange’s connector ramps and roundabouts for travel toward Trenton and other points south. (CLICK HERE TO VIEW DETOUR MAP)
- I-295 NB (PA-Bound) – Intermittent off-peak single-lane pattern extending onto the new completed upstream span of the Scudder Falls Toll Bridge 7 p.m. to 2 p.m. (next day) Monday, March 2, to Friday, March 6.
- I-295 SB (NJ-Bound) – Intermittent off-peak single-lane pattern permitted 10 a.m. to 6 a.m. (next day) Monday, March 2, to Friday, March 6.
- Route 29 SB & NB in the vicinity of Scudder Falls Toll Bridge – Intermittent FLAGGER-controlled travel 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, March 2, to Friday, March 6.
- NJ Route 175/River Road Entry Ramp to I-295 SB – 24/7 closure continuing through spring 2021. DETOUR: Use the southern roundabout at the nearby I-295/Route 29 interchange to access the on-ramp for I-295 SB.
Pennsylvania side
- I-295 WB (PA-Bound) – Intermittent off-peak single-lane pattern – if needed for construction activities – permitted west of the new Scudder Falls Toll Bridge 7 p.m. to 2 p.m. (next day) Monday, March 2, through Friday, March 6.
- I-295 EB approaching the Scudder Falls Toll Bridge and continuing across the bridge to NJ where the designation becomes I-295 SB – Off-peak intermittent single-lane travel – if needed for construction activities – 10 a.m. to 6 a.m. (next day) Monday, March 2, through Friday, March 6.
- Taylorsville Road north of I-295 – Intermittent single-lane patterns with possible flagger-controlled travel 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, March 2, to Friday, March 6.
- Taylorsville Road south of I-295 – Intermittent single-lane patterns with possible flagger-controlled travel 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, March 2, to Friday, March 6.
- River Road/PA Route 32 – Possible intermittent traffic stoppages controlled by flaggers 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, March 2, to Friday, March 6.
The aforementioned scheduled travel restrictions are subject to change due to weather, emergency, traffic, and equipment/materials mobilization considerations. Motorists are urged to allow extra time to reach their destinations, reduce speeds and exercise caution when travelling through project work areas.
Weekends
Aside from the respective closures of NJ Route 29 SB bypass lane, no project-related lane closures are scheduled for the weekends of Feb. 29-March 1 and March 7-8.
Delaware Canal Towpath (PA side) – Intermittent daytime closures possible 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays for overhead I-295 approach bridge construction now through March; open on weekends. Delaware & Raritan Canal Towpath (NJ side) – Scheduled to be open now through March.
More information on the Scudder Falls Bridge Replacement Project is available at www.scudderfallsbridge.com.
CONSTRUCTION NOISE ADVISORY – The project contractor will be engaged in a high-intensity construction cycle through the first half of March in order to comply with a regulatory-agency-imposed restriction on river-bottom disturbance. As a result, there is likely to be noise-intensive construction activities in the area of the bridge during overnight periods. The high-intensity construction cycle is scheduled to end March 15, when a 106-day moratorium on river-bottom disturbances will take effect. The environmental restriction is aimed at protecting three endangered species: short-nosed sturgeon and two types of fresh-water mussels.
