LOWER MAKEFIELD, PA – A short section of the Delaware Canal towpath on the Pennsylvania side of the Scudder Falls Toll Bridge will be barricaded by the close of business today and will remain off limits to the public use for up to two weeks, the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission announced today.
The scheduled round-the-clock towpath closure is needed to ensure public safety for demolition activities and debris containment measures associated with the removal of the nearly 60-year-old approach bridge that previously carried I-95/I-295 across the Canal and its towpath. The old bridge is being replaced by a new, improved structure as part of the ongoing Scudder Falls Bridge Replacement Project.
The towpath will be barricaded and inaccessible to the public from Woodside Road to the project limits downstream of the canal’s I-295/I-95 overpass during both daytime and nighttime hours. (CLICK HERE TO VIEW AFFECTED AREA ON MAP) The closure will be in effect through this weekend – Nov. 9 and 10 – and possibly the following weekend – Nov. 16 and 17. This will mark the first time in over a year that towpath closures could extend into weekends.
While work activities will not be taking place at all times that the closure is in effect, the temporary debris-containment system being installed to protect the canal’s waterway will impede both bicyclists and pedestrians from travelling through the area.
Due to the nature of the work, a specific reopening date is unavailable at this time. The aforementioned closure periods are subject to change due to weather and other considerations.
Pedestrians and bicyclists are urged to exercise caution when traveling along the canal near or through work areas as the bridge replacement project construction activities continue to progress over the next two years.
More information and videos on the bridge replacement project are available at www.scudderfallsbridge.com
