MILFORD, PA – The weathered pothole driving surface on the Milford-Montague (Route 206) Toll Bridge and its New Jersey and Pennsylvania approach roadways is scheduled to undergo milling and repaving under a roughly three-month-long project starting next week, the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission announced today.
The project also is expected to repair and/or replace various stormwater inlets along the bridge’s approaches and replace the pavements in the area of the bridge’s administration building, maintenance yard and salt-storage facility.
This is the most significant capital project to be undertaken at this bridge location since a broad facility-wide rehabilitation was conducted between 2008 and 2009.
The upcoming work will primarily affect motorists traveling during off-peak hours Mondays through Fridays. The travel restrictions to carry out this project are as follows:
- New Jersey and Pennsylvania approach roadway lane closures may be implemented 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. (next day) on weekdays.
- Full traffic stoppages of up to five minutes in duration are possible during daytime off-peak hours (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and of up to 10 minutes in duration are possible during overnight off-peak hours (7 p.m. to 6 a.m.).
- Closures of a toll-collection lane at the bridge’s toll plaza will be limited to daytime off-peak hours Mondays through Fridays.
- Lane closures for milling and resurfacing on the bridge will be of longer durations because of the complexity of the work involved. Bridge lane closures will result in alternating single-lane travel lasting more than 24 hours.
- Lane closures will be modified as needed when the nearby privately owned Dingmans Ferry Bridge is closed for inspections or repairs in September. A revised travel plan for the Milford-Montague work will be announced at that time.
The schedule above may be altered if the Milford-Montague Bridge work requires longer than anticipated hours.
Early project preparation activities are expected to begin Monday, August 15. Construction activities and travel impacts could begin several days later. Project work elements are:
- Milling and paving of the bridge’s Pennsylvania approach roadways and shoulders;
- Milling and paving of the New Jersey approach’s northbound travel lane and adjoining shoulder;
- Full-depth replacement of the New Jersey approach’s southbound travel lane and adjoining shoulder;
- Milling and paving of the bridge’s travel lanes along with the installation of a waterproof membrane before the new asphalt surface is applied;
- Milling, paving, and/or full-depth of parking lots at the bridge’s administration building, maintenance garage, and salt barn;
- Repairs/replacements of inlets along the bridge’s approaches.
The work is to be performed by Mount Construction Co., Inc. job order contract costing slightly less than $2.9 million.
The two-lane Milford-Montague Toll Bridge opened to traffic in December 1953. It is the Commission’s second-least travelled toll bridge, carrying a daily average of 7,300 vehicles in 2021.
The four-span bridge is 1,150-feet long. It is the only deck-truss bridge in the Commission’s 20-bridge system.
The bridge serves an important gateway function to the northern Pocono Mountains region in Pennsylvania and the Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area, which straddles both sides of the river.
