WASHINGTON CROSSING – Motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, and other interested parties have 10 more days to provide comments on informational display boards and other public scoping materials recently produced for the Washington Crossing Bridge Alternatives Analysis. The deadline for submitting comments and alternatives for the deficiency-riddled bridge is Thursday, March 12.
The public scoping materials were presented at two open house sessions held during the second week of February. The materials may be viewed at www.washingtoncrossingbridge.com, the website that was established last year for the Washington Crossing Bridge Alternatives Analysis (WCBAA) — a multi-year research, documentation, and review process guided by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
An accompanying introductory video about the bridge’s deficiencies and the alternatives analysis also may be accessed through the WCBAA website. The video has been viewed more than 9,000 times since its release on January 29. It may be viewed directly at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRu1u1ZaVyw.
Public scoping is an early outreach step in the NEPA-guided WCBAA. There were 186 signed-in attendees for the session in Pennsylvania and 94 for the session in New Jersey. (Actual attendance numbers might be higher, as some attendees did not sign in.)
Where to submit online comment
Individuals who were unable to attend the open house events can watch the video and review the public scoping materials, which are accessible through the alternative analysis website’s “Events” section. There is a digital comment form — https://hdr.jotform.com/260224953478059 – in the Events section and the website also has a “Contact” portal: https://www.washingtoncrossingbridge.com/contact.
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, identifying significant issues, obtaining necessary data, developing feasible alternatives, and understanding 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 has the narrowest vehicular roadway. Its 15-foot-wide road deck is divided into two 7.5-foot travel lanes (one in each direction). Broken mirrors, severed vehicular parts, sideswipes with on-coming vehicles, and collisions with the bridge structure itself occur frequently.
The bridge carried an average of 6,500 vehicles a day in 2025 – the same AADT as in 2006. The highest usage years remain 2013 and 2016, when the annual average daily vehicle crossing counts were 7,500.
The bridge’s three-ton weight restriction 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.
The bridge’s operation, protection, and maintenance are funded through a share of the tolls the Commission collects at its eight tolled highway crossings along the river. Taxes are not a bridge funding source.
