Scudder Falls Bridge | |
|---|---|
_from_just_to_the_east-northeast_along_the_banks_of_the_Delaware_River_in_Ewing_Township,_Mercer_County,_New_Jersey.jpg) The Scudder Falls Bridge in 2022, six months after being declared substantially complete | |
| Coordinates | 40°15′31″N 74°50′50″W / 40.25861°N 74.84722°W |
| Carries | 7 lanes of  I-295 |
| Crosses | Delaware River |
| Locale | Lower Makefield Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania and Scudders Falls, Ewing Township, Mercer County, New Jersey |
| Official name | Scudder Falls Toll Supported Bridge (original) Scudder Falls Toll Bridge (replacement) |
| Maintained by | Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Plate girder bridge (original) Box girder bridge (replacement) |
| Total length | 1,740 feet (530 m) |
| Width | 60 feet (18 m) |
| Longest span | 180 feet (55 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | June 22, 1961 (original span)[1] July 10, 2019 (new upstream span), August 18, 2021 (new downstream span) |
| Closed | July 24, 2019 (original span) |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 52,200[2] |
| Toll | Westbound: $3.00 toll-by-plate for cars $1.50 E-ZPass for cars[3] |
| Location | |
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The Scudder Falls Bridge is a toll bridge that carries Interstate 295 (I-295) over the Delaware River, connecting Lower Makefield Township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with the Scudders Falls section of Ewing Township in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is maintained by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission (DRJTBC). The original bridge was a plate girder bridge constructed from 1958 to 1961, and the current structure is a box-girder bridge that partially opened in 2019 and was substantially complete in 2021. Previously, the bridge was a toll-free crossing. However, this changed on July 14, 2019, when an all-electronic toll was levied for Pennsylvania-bound traffic; the toll can be paid using E-ZPass or Toll-by-Plate.[4]
A $534 million replacement project for the bridge was completed, which involved widening I-295 in the area from four lanes to eight, and reconstruction of the interchanges at both ends of the bridge.[5] The first span of the new bridge opened to Pennsylvania-bound traffic on July 10, 2019. New Jersey-bound traffic was moved onto the new span on July 24, 2019, and demolition of the old span began afterwards.[6] The downstream span was opened to New Jersey-bound traffic on August 18, 2021.[7] As well, a shared-use path for bicycle and foot-traffic opened on November 16, 2021.[8]
- ^ "4-Lane Bridge Opens Today at Scudders Falls". The Philadelphia Inquirer. June 22, 1961. p. 1. Retrieved May 23, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Traffic Counts". Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. 2006. Retrieved April 15, 2007.
- ^ "New Toll Schedules Approved for 2021 & 2024". Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
- ^ "Bridge between N.J. And Pa. Will have a new toll starting this summer". May 25, 2019.
- ^ "Scudder Falls Bridge Replacement Project". Retrieved January 7, 2019.
- ^ Alexander, Dan (May 21, 2019). "Here's when tolls will start on Route 295 Scudder Falls Bridge". New Jersey 101.5. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
- ^ "Second span of Scudder Falls Bridge will open next week along with ramp reopenings". August 12, 2021.
- ^ Werner, Jeff (November 18, 2021). "Bridge commission opens new shared-use path over the Scudder Falls Bridge in Bucks County". thereporteronline. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
