Traveling across the Scudder Falls Bridge is likely going to get worse before it gets better. Starting next year, commuters will have a busier commute, according to updated an construction plan to replace the bridge, located in Ewing Township.
The plan was outlined by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission during an April 12 event sponsored by the MIDJersey Chamber of Commerce at New Jersey Manufacturers.
During the event, Joseph Resta, executive director of the commission, outlined the different stages of the bridge construction, which is set to begin in 2017. While all of the details are not yet finalized, the event was meant to give commuters a better idea of what they can expect through 2021—the project’s targeted completion date.
The four-year project will replace the current Scudder Falls Bridge, which has been deemed “functionally obsolete” due to capacity limitations, poor roadway geometry and safety concerns. The bridge is a similar design to Connecticut’s Mianus River Bridge that collapsed in 1983.
Replacing the bridge, which was originally built in 1959, that carries 59,000 vehicles each day won’t be easy—or cheap—as Resta called the Scudder Falls Bridge replacement the “largest single project” the commission has ever done.
In order to pay for the project’s estimated $328 million cost, the commission will add electronic tolls to the southbound lanes. Resta explained that since the commission doesn’t receive any funding from the state or federal government, it solely relies on tolls to fund projects and road repairs. He did not announce what the final cost of the toll would be for drivers.
In the past, both Mayor Bert Steinmann and previous mayor Jack Ball have voiced opposition to turning the bridge into a toll span. Steinmann has said he believes the tolls will hurt township residents’ pocketbooks.
The new electronic tolls operate through a “cashless” system, which aims to eliminate tollbooth congestion. For drivers with an EZ-Pass, it will be business as usual as they will drive through the tolls and the transponders register their information. Drivers without an EZ-Pass will have go through a “toll-by-plate” system where their licenses plates are photographed as they drive through the tolling plaza. A bill will then be sent to the home of the vehicle’s registered owner.
Despite not announcing a final toll price, Resta said a discount will be implemented for EZ-Pass owners, as electronic tolling through licenses plates is more expensive than traditional toll booths.
The Scudder Falls Bridge is currently one of five free bridges connecting the greater Mercer County area to Pennsylvania. During the April 12 event, Titusville residents expressed concerns about how the new toll will alter traffic, saying people may decide to use the free Washington Crossing Bridge rather than pay the toll.
Resta said traffic studies show that even when drivers try to find an alternate route around a toll, they eventually choose convenience over cost.
“It really only takes about a year for folks to just come back to the main line because of the convenience and the speed at which they can make the commute,” he said.
He also cited another traffic study conducted by the commission that estimates 400 cars each day will find an alternate route across the Delaware to avoid the construction. People who leave the main highway for another route will want that roadway to be clear, and many of the other bridges—including Washington Crossing—already experience high levels of traffic during peak hours.
“Washington Crossing during peak is pretty full, and if there’s a diversion for convenience it’s really to keep moving on something that is clear and passable,” Resta said. “So, to imagine that someone diverts to something that’s already congested is a little unlikely.”
While the construction will undoubtedly cause congestion along the roadway, Resta explained the commission’s plans to keep traffic flowing as smoothly as possible.
The first stage of the construction involves building the southbound lanes of the new bridge next to the existing bridge. During this phase, traffic will move along the current Scudder Falls Bridge as it does now. Projections show the first phase being completed in early 2019, at which point all traffic will temporarily move onto the new southbound lanes, with two lanes of traffic moving in each direction.
The northbound lanes will be built next, which is projected to be completed at the end of 2020. Finally, the third stage of construction involves building longer acceleration lanes and shoulders for disabled vehicles to safely pull over to the side of the bridge.
In total, the new bridge will have three through-traffic lanes in each direction, and three auxiliary lanes—two northbound and one southbound. Widened shoulders will also be added in both directions to allow for disabled vehicles to pull safely over to the side.
Improvements will also be made to the entrance ramps in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Along Route 29, two roundabouts will be added to help control the flow of traffic between the two major roadways. Resta said the roundabout design was done by the New Jersey Department of Transportation in an effort to keep highway congestion off Route 29.
“The analysis that we have is that they work, they work very efficiently, and it will remove some of that oncoming scissor ramp configuration we currently have today,” Resta said. “We think it’s a terrific safety advantage.”
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