The reopening of the Randall Avenue Bridge has been pushed back to early 2026.
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While the township had hoped for a late 2025 reopening, the delay is being blamed on needed final inspections and coordination with rail and utility companies, Bristol Township Manager Randee Mazur said.
The township is coordinating with PennDOT, the Pennsylvania Utilities Commission, and Amtrak to schedule required inspections, which will lead to some temporary utility outages.
“We’re lining up those inspections now because that will require that we’ll be required to have some outages again,” Mazur said.
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Township officials are working proactively with Amtrak to schedule these inspections after having learned from previous delays in the project’s early phases, which involved securing permission from Amtrak to access its right-of-way.
The Amtrak Northeast Corridor that passes beneath the bridge also carry SEPTA’s Trenton Regional Rail Line and freight trains.
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A requirement for the inspection process is that contractors must obtain high-rail vehicle certification, Mazur said.
The bridge will open once PennDOT’s bridge inspectors determine it meets compliance standards, according to the township manager.
“The goal is to open the bridge once the consultants for PennDOT, the bridge inspectors say that it is compliant and it’s ready to be opened,” Mazur stated.
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Once opened in 2026, the bridge will most likely have only a base coat of pavement.
The final top coat is scheduled to be applied in the spring, according to Mazur.
Before its closure, bridge had a 3.5-ton restriction, which officials said was often ignored.
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The work on the bridge may lead to an increased tonnage rating, but the timeline and specific weight increase are still unknown, Mazur said.
To avoid further delays, the township plans to open the bridge at its current rating and pursue the re-rating process separately afterward, officials said.
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The current phase of work is nearing completion under a $2.75 million contract awarded to Loftus Construction.
The bridge, which dates to 1919, was closed in early 2023 after pieces of concrete began falling onto the busy tracks below.
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The closure has been a source of significant frustration for residents and township officials.
Looking ahead, the bridge is expected to require either a complete replacement or an extensive overhaul.
Township officials are continuing to work on securing funding for this future work, which is estimated to cost as much as $25 million.
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