$1.6 Billion Bridge Project Gets Recommended Plan, Would Impact Bristol Twp. Properties

Turnpike officials in Pennsylvania and New Jersey are moving forward with a $1.6 billion proposal to construct a new six-lane bridge over the Delaware River.

Engineers with the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority are recommending the “North Partial Impact” (NPI) alternative for the project.

The proposed new tied-arch bridge would stand 153 feet above the water and span 684 feet in length, which is 2 feet longer than the current structure. The bridge would measure 127 feet wide and include six lanes.

Project planners showed off maps and study corridor details earlier this week at public open houses on both sides of the river, including a session at Brookwood Elementary School in Bristol Township.

The recommended NPI route would run parallel to the current four-lane crossing, which opened in 1956. The bridge connects Bucks County to Burlington County, New Jersey.

The recommended plan allows crews to construct the entire six-lane bridge in a single phase without disrupting the existing structure.

As part of the NPI, the new bridge would open to traffic in roughly three years.

The entire project, including the demolition of the old bridge, is expected to take five years.

Officials eliminated alternatives south of the existing bridge because it carried a higher volume of residential and business disruptions, threatened publicly owned parklands, posed a greater threat to endangered and threatened species, and required relocating an electric substation.

There is a “North Staged Alternate” (NSA) plan that involves a two-phase build that would physically overlap with the existing bridge. It would stretch the timeline of the project.

The turnpikes’ recommendation of the NPI is not a final decision.

The Federal Highway Administration will make a determination after reviewing all project data and public and agency comments.

Early reviews by planners found that the preferred route could impact 13 residential properties, fully affect one industrial property, and partially affect two other industrial properties, with most property impacts in Bristol Township. The plan would also require one full and four partial commercial property acquisitions.

The proposed alignment would cross over Route 13 and Delaware Canal State Park, cutting through commercial and residential land between Green Lane and the river while bypassing the Fleetwing Estates neighborhood.

John Boyer, senior engineer project manager for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, and Marissa Orbanek, the commission’s press secretary, stated that specific property decisions and discussions are still underway.

The project team plans to work directly with affected owners.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike already owns some land near the crossing, including a riverfront residential property acquired in 2024.

Boyer said properties will be appraised before any purchase offers are made, and all acquisitions will comply with regulatory requirements.

“We work with homeowners as much as possible during this process, giving them support, resources and time to make informed decisions,” a project briefing slide read. “This includes during the appraisal process and helping relocate to a home equal or better than the one they now occupy.”

Officials have discussed replacing the aging steel truss bridge for years, but the idea came back into focus after a major structural fracture on the existing bridge was discovered in 2017. That problem caused a closure and has since been fixed.

According to turnpike data, traffic volumes have risen from 48,600 vehicles per day in 2018 to 68,900 in 2023. Daily traffic is projected to hit 93,400 vehicles by 2050.

Local residents have voiced concerns regarding the project’s timeline, property impacts, potential disruptions to forested wetlands, construction and traffic noise, increased traffic on Route 13 and nearby roadways, and whether a pedestrian and bicycle path could be added.

In response to community feedback, planners said they are evaluating potential bicycle and pedestrian access and connections on and around the bridge to see if they can be integrated into the final design.

During construction, crews will coordinate with the U.S. Coast Guard to minimize impacts to commercial and recreational river traffic, Boyer said.

The project recently secured a $600 million federal grant to cover a portion of the $1.6 billion total cost.

Orbanek said the projected cost reflects current value.

A Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement is currently being prepared.

Officials plan for formal Record of Decision by 2028, which would clear the way for construction to begin by the end of the decade.

The new bridge is projected to become fully operational in the early 2030s.

Additional public hearings are planned for this winter.

The public can view information and presentation slides online, and submit comments through the project website through July 13.