WASHINGTON CROSSING – Motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians frustrated with the Washington Crossing Toll-Supported Bridge’s poor customer experience profile will have an opportunity to learn about an ongoing bridge-examination process and submit comments at a Public Scoping Open House scheduled to take place next week.
The public scoping event will include two sessions:
| The Crossing Church Tuesday, February 10 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. 1895 Wrightstown Road Washington Crossing, PA. 18977 |
Union Fire Company and Rescue Squad Wednesday, February 11 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. 1396 River Road Titusville, N.J. 08560 |
The sessions will consist of display-board stations where motorists, pedestrians, business owners, residents, and other interested parties may speak with members of the team of professionals involved with the Washington Crossing Bridge Alternatives Analysis, a multi-year research, documentation, and review process that is being conducted in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
The Commission launched the detailed environmental examination process in August 2024 to help determine whether it is sensible to continue further public investment on the current bridge. An introductory video outlining the bridge’s many shortcomings was released last week and may be watched on the Commission’s YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRu1u1ZaVyw.
The upcoming public scoping open house sessions are another early step in this process. They represent a valuable opportunity for bridge users to provide input about their bridge-crossing experiences over the years: waiting in traffic after an oversized vehicle attempted to illegally cross the load-restricted bridge, sustaining vehicular damage due to a collision on the bridge’s substandard 7-foot-6-inch-wide travel lanes, or enduring a teeth-chattering near-miss encounter with the mirrors of an oncoming vehicle.
Display-board stations at next week’s sessions are anticipated to include (but not be limited to) the undertaking’s purpose and need, a study-area map, existing deficiencies of the bridge, public involvement, environmental considerations, current anticipated timeline, a listing of the broad alternative categories, and information on public comment opportunities. The recent bridge video also will be shown. There will be no formal presentation.
Following the sessions, the displayed materials will be added to the webpage that has been established for the Washington Crossing Bridge Alternatives Analysis: www.washingtoncrossingbridge.com. Individuals unable to attend the public scoping open house sessions would then be able to view the materials and submit comments and questions.
The alternatives analysis is being undertaken to identify and assess various alternatives for the Washington Crossing Bridge. The process involves topographic surveys, environmental studies, archaeological and cultural resource investigations, and other endeavors aimed at assessing the location and developing a range of alternatives. Generalized categories of alternatives are expected to include no action, replacement, rehabilitation, and/or repurposing the current bridge. The primary objective of the analysis process is to identify a “preferred alternative” that would improve mobility and provide a safe and reliable river crossing.
The public scoping process will help guide the DRJTBC in defining the scope of environmental review, identify significant issues, obtain necessary data, develop feasible alternatives, and understand potential mitigation measures as part of an environmental documentation process.
Additional public events are expected to occur at other key junctures as the alternative analysis progresses.
Of the 20 river crossings in the DRJTBC’s bistate (New Jersey and Pennsylvania) jurisdiction, the Washington Crossing Bridge easily receives the most customer complaints. It is the DRJTBC’s narrowest vehicular bridge with a 15-foot-wide roadway divided into two 7.5-foot travel lanes (one in each direction.) Among motorists complaints are broken mirrors and sideswipes with on-coming vehicles or the bridge structure itself.
The bridge carried an average of 6,500 vehicles a day in 2025. Its highest usage years were 2013 and 2016, when the annual average daily vehicle crossing counts were 7,500.
The bridge has a three-ton weight restriction, which has been in effect since 1995. The restriction is enforced by bridge monitors stationed 24/7 at a shelter adjacent to the bridge’s New Jersey approach. Bridge monitors also are positioned periodically in vehicles along the structure’s Pennsylvania approach.
In 2025, over 1,900 vehicles were turned away to protect the bridge from potential damage that could compromise its structural integrity and operation.
