LOWER MAKEFIELD, PA – Weekday job commuters next week will encounter a new temporary I-295 New Jersey bound highway alignment and corresponding flanking interchange ramp detours in the vicinity of the new Scudder Falls Toll Bridge.
The travel changes in the vicinity of the new bridge are expected to be put into place by 5 p.m. Friday, July 26. This means that morning commuters traveling from Pennsylvania to New Jersey across the bridge won’t experience the changes for the first time until Monday, July 29.
For this reason, the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission is urging commuters to plan ahead and allow extra time to reach their destinations Monday as motorists adjust to the new travel realities in the vicinity of the I-295/Scudder Falls Toll Bridge.
Commuters on Monday will find that the New Jersey-bound I-295 travel lanes have been moved off of the old “functionally obsolete” Scudder Falls Bridge and shifted to the new replacement bridge slightly upstream. Additionally, three ramp closures on the southern side (Yardley side) of the I-295/Taylorsville Road interchange (Exit 10) will be closed to traffic with detours to I-295 and the Scudder Falls Toll Bridge via the Route 332/Yardley-Newtown Road interchange (Exit 8). In New Jersey, the first exit after the bridge onto Route 29 will be closed.
The new temporary alignment of I-295 will remain in place until Scudder Falls Toll Bridge’s second span gets constructed and opens to traffic sometime in late 2020 or early 2021. Meanwhile the ramp closures at Taylorsville Road and Route 29 are expected to be in effect for three weeks, ending on or about Aug. 17.
The full schedule of next week’s travel restrictions for the Scudder Falls Bridge Replacement Project are as follows:
Pennsylvania side
- River Road/PA Route 32 – CLOSURE AND DETOUR in the vicinity of the Scudder Falls Bridge 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, July 29. Closure points will be at the intersection of North Delaware Avenue/Route 32 and East Afton Avenue/Route 332 in Yardley to the south and at the intersection of River Road/Route 32 and Woodside Road in Lower Makefield. Affected motorists are advised to follow posted detour signs and use nearby North Main Street/Woodside Road for north-south travel around the closed roadway section. Also, alternating single-lane travel is possible with traffic controlled by flaggers, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 30, to Friday, Aug. 2.
- I-295 EB off-ramp to Taylorsville Road (Exit 10) – Uninterrupted closure with detour via the Route 332Yardley-Newtown Road interchange (Exit 8); ending on or about Aug. 17. DETOUR: From the PA Route 332/Yardley-Newtown Road interchange (Exit 8), follow detour signs for “Taylorsville Road” by proceeding eastbound on PA Route 332/Yardley-Newtown Road toward Yardley, where Route 332 become West Afton Ave. before intersecting with Main Street (traffic light) in Yardley’s business center. Make a left and proceed onto North Main Street, which becomes Taylorsville Road outside of Yardley. (CLICK HERE TO VIEW I-295/TAYLORSVILLE ROAD RAMP CLOSURES DETOUR MAP)
- On-ramp for I-295 and the Scudder Falls Toll Bridge NJ-bound from Taylorsville Road SB – Uninterrupted closure with posted detour to I-295 in the NJ-bound direction via the Route 332/Yardley-Newtown Road interchange (Exit 8); ending on or about Aug. 17. DETOUR: From the I-295/Taylorsville Road interchange, follow detour signs for “I-295 SB,” take the nearby entry ramp for I-295 WB toward Newtown and Philadelphia, proceed to the Route 332/Yardley-Newtown interchange (Exit 8), make a left at the top of the exit ramp, cross over I-295, immediately bear right onto the entry ramp for I-295 EB, and proceed back toward the Scudder Falls Toll Bridge where I-295 EB becomes I-295 SB upon crossing into New Jersey. (CLICK HERE TO VIEW I-295/TAYLORSVILLE ROAD RAMP CLOSURES DETOUR MAP)
- On-ramp for I-295 and the Scudder Falls Toll Bridge NJ-bound from Taylorsville Road NB – Uninterrupted closure with posted detour to I-295 in the NJ-bound direction via the Route 332/Yardley-Newtown Road interchange (Exit 8); ending on or about Aug. 17. DETOUR FROM YARDLEY BUSINESS CENTER: Follow detour signs for I-295 SB from East Main Street, proceed onto West Afton Avenue (PA Route 332), turn right at intersection with Yardley-Newtown Road (PA Route 332), proceed to the interchange with I-295 EB, bear right onto ramp for I-295 EB toward the Scudder Falls Tolls Bridge where I-295 EB becomes I-295 SB upon crossing into New Jersey. (CLICK HERE TO VIEW I-295/TAYLORSVILLE ROAD RAMP CLOSURES DETOUR MAP)
- 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, July 29, through Friday, Aug. 2.
- Taylorsville Road north of I-295 – Intermittent single-lane patterns with possible flagger-controlled travel 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, July 29, to Friday, Aug. 2.
- Taylorsville Road south of I-295 – Intermittent single-lane patterns with possible flagger-controlled travel 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, July 29, to Friday, Aug. 2.
- Woodside Road – Intermittent right or left lane closures with passage maintained in each direction and/or flagging-controlled travel 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, July 29, to Friday, Aug. 2.
New Jersey side
- I-295 off-ramp to Route 29 immediately after crossing the Scudder Falls Toll Bridge into New Jersey (first NJ exit on I-295 SB) – Uninterrupted closure with a posted detour via the I-295/Scotch Road interchange (Exit 73A); ending on or about Aug. 17. DETOUR: Upon crossing the Scudder Falls Toll Bridge from Pennsylvania into New Jersey, follow detour signs for “Route 29,” continue on I-295 SB approximately three miles to the I-295/Scotch Road interchange, proceed to exit 73a, bear right onto loop ramp, cross I-295, immediately take the loop ramp for I-295 NB, and proceed back toward the Scudder Falls Toll Bridge and take the last New Jersey exit for Route 29. (CLICK HERE TO VIEW NJ ROUTE 29/ROUTE 175 RAMP CLOSURES DETOUR MAP)
- NJ Route 175/River Road Entry Ramp to I-295 SB – 24/7 closure for at least one year. DETOUR: Use the southern roundabout at the nearby I-295/Route 29 interchange to access the on-ramp for I-295 SB. (CLICK HERE TO VIEW NJ ROUTE 29/ROUTE 175 RAMP CLOSURES DETOUR MAP)
- I-295 NB (PA-Bound) – Intermittent off-peak single-lane pattern extending onto the new completed span of the Scudder Falls Toll Bridge 8 p.m. to 2 p.m. (next day) Monday, July 29, through Friday, Aug. 2.
Weekends
Aside from any carryover of Friday off-peak travel restrictions into Saturday, no weekend lane or ramp closures are scheduled for the weekends of July 27-28 or Aug. 3-4.
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.
More information on the Scudder Falls Bridge Replacement Project is available at www.scudderfallsbridge.com.
