LAMBERTVILLE, NJ – Pennsylvania-bound traffic at the New Hope-Lambertville Toll-Supported Bridge is expected to be shifted back into its normal upstream lane sometime on Friday, June 28, the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission announced today.
The traffic shift will allow the bridge’s rehabilitation project work to advance to the next work stage on the structure’s downstream side. Work crews currently are re-installing guide rails on the bridge’s upstream side in preparation for the travel pattern change, the first significant project milestone since the bridge rehabilitation work got fully underway in February.
The traffic shift itself will be a quick exercise. Work crews only need to move traffic-routing markers at the bridge’s Lambertville and New Hope approaches and on the structure’s roadway deck. The current uninterrupted detour of New Jersey-bound traffic will remain in effect with barricades and detour signage unchanged at the intersection of Bridge and Main streets in New Hope.
Timing
Ideally, work currently underway on the bridge’s upstream side will reach completion by mid-day Friday, allowing the Pennsylvania-bound traffic shift to be executed sometime between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. If upstream work is not completed before the evening commuting period, then the travel shift would be undertaken at some point after 6 p.m.
Next Steps
The traffic shift will allow the rehabilitation project contractor to prepare the bridge for the next stage of work activities. A primary set-up task will be the installation of a temporary six-foot-wide walkway on a portion of the bridge’s downstream travel lane. Plans call for installation of temporary barriers to protect the temporary walkway’s users from Pennsylvania-bound vehicles in the upstream travel lane.
Once the temporary walkway is installed, the contractor can then remove the current end-of-its-service-life and slip-prone walkway and railing. Painting containment measures for the next work stage also will be installed. As was the case with the prior construction, work is expected to progress from the bridge’s New Hope side toward Lambertville over the next three months.
The bridge’s current walkway will remain open through the July 4 holiday period. The Commission anticipates it will be in a position next week to announce a walkway closure date along with an opening date for the temporary walkway and a corresponding start date for a temporary free courtesy shuttle service between New Hope and Lambertville.
As with any public works project, dates and times in this press release are subject to change due to emergencies, supply-chain issues, severe weather, and river conditions.
A project webpage was established in early 2023. It is updated periodically. It can be viewed at: https://www.drjtbc.org/project/newhopelambertville.
Impending Next Major Work Stage – July – September
Walkway to close for replacement after July 4 holiday period
Painting Progress Photo (new paint on right, old paint on left)
NJ-Bound Detour – Continues into September
