Bridge Inspections May Cause Delays At Free Delaware River Crossings

SOLEBURY, PA — Motorists may encounter brief travel delays during off-peak hours as the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission’s non-toll river crossings undergo biennial inspections this year.

The commission’s engineering department and general engineering consulting firm are expected to begin the inspections process at the Centre Bridge-Stockton Toll-Supported Bridge between Solebury and Stockton, N.J. on Monday, March 16. The inspection process will then move to other toll-supported bridges up and down the river over ensuing weeks. The inspections are expected to end in early summer.

While much of the work occurs out of sight to the public, temporary off-peak flagger-controlled travel restrictions sometimes are needed. Motorist impacts - if any - are minor.

The commission performs bridge inspections annually, with toll bridges being inspected in odd-numbered years and non-toll bridge inspections in even years. The biennial inspections are conducted in accordance with the Federal Highway Administration and the National Bridge Inspection Standards. The findings are published as part of the Commission’s annual inspection reports available by clicking here. The inspections help the commission in prioritizing capital improvements and scheduling maintenance and repair work.

A new task is being added to the inspections this year: ultrasonic testing of the handful of bridges with pin connections that can’t be examined by the naked eye. The new task was added after a deteriorated pin (a 17-inch-long, 4-inch-diameter solid-steel cylindrical connector with a threaded end) was discovered during the rehabilitation of the New Hope-Lambertville Toll-Supported Bridge in 2024. Testing will be conducted by an additional consultant.

A toll-supported bridge is free for the public’s use, but the cost of operating and maintaining the bridge is funded by tolls collected at the Commission’s eight toll bridges.