PA, NJ Turnpike Officials Seek Public Input On New Delaware River Bridge

Officials have launched a formal environmental review for the replacement of the Delaware River Bridge, which connects the Pennsylvania and New Jersey turnpikes in Bristol Township.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority recently published a Notice of Intent to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS).

The filing marks the start of the environmental documentation process for the plan.

The proposed project focuses on replacing the 70-year-old bridge and reconfiguring approach roadways.

The new SEIS will evaluate environmental concerns and updated circumstances that have emerged since the original Record of Decision was issued in 2003.

The public has until May 25 to submit comments on the notice and supporting documents through the Federal Register or online.

Officials have scheduled three upcoming public meetings to discuss the proposal for the project.

There will be a virtual public meeting on Tuesday, June 9, starting at 6 p.m. Registration is required.

On Wednesday, June 10, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. there will be a public meeting at Ben Franklin Middle School at 6401 Mill Creek Road in Bristol Township.

The New Jersey open house will take place on Thursday, June 11, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Florence Township Municipal Building at 711 Broad Street.

The meetings will also cover proposed bicycle and pedestrian improvements.

If approved, construction on the project is expected to begin by the end of the decade, with completion slated for the early 2030s.

Individuals requiring special accommodations or translation services are asked to contact project officials at delawareriverbridgenews@kci.com at least five days prior to the meetings.

The plan for a new span over the Delaware River recently received a $600 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bridge Investment Program.

The existing four-lane bridge, which opened in 1956, carries approximately 67,000 vehicles daily between Bucks County and Burlington County.

Planners are looking at two options – building a new six-lane span adjacent to the current bridge over four years or a phased construction approach that would take eight years.

Turnpike officials from both states have determined that the aging structure can no longer be rehabilitated to meet modern federal standards or traffic demands.

The bridge required an emergency shutdown in 2017 to repair a fractured truss.