Delaware River Bridge Reopens After Repairs

The Delaware River Bridge has reopened after being closed in late January due to a fracture. The PA Turnpike Commission and the NJ Turnpike Authority have repaired the fractured truss member, according to a joint statement.

The bridge carries about 42,000 vehicles per day and connects the New Jersey and Pennsylvania turnpikes over the Delaware River.

According to authorities, the bridge has been realigned and the fractured truss member has been fixed. A series of load tests were done to study the effectiveness of the repairs.

"Eight, tri-axle dump trucks carrying 40 tons of aggregate were driven across the bridge while sensors installed on the truss and splice detected the structure’s reaction. Load testing results showed that the bridge can support the weight of live traffic," according to information from the PA Turnpike Commission.

“Many people were greatly inconvenienced by this closure over the last seven weeks, and I know that everyone is excited to get this bridge reopened and to see their lives return to normal,” said PA Turnpike CEO Mark Compton. “Without a doubt, this incident was a bad dream for the two turnpike agencies and the contractors and consultants on our team, but a nightmare for customers and neighbors.”